Abstract

Aim: Bronchiectasis is characterized by the dilatation of the always associated with frequent bacterial infections and inflammatory destruction of the bronchial and peribronchial tissues. In this retrospective study, we aimed to evaluate the clinical and the laboratory features in children with bronchiectasis. Methods: Between 01.01.2000-31.12.2006, fifty-four cases (mean age: 10.3±4.2 years; range: 1.-18 years; male: 66.7%) who were diagnosed as bronchiectasis at Tepecik Teaching Hospital Department of Pediatrics and who were followed by Pediatric Allergy-Pulmonology Clinic were evaluated retrospectively. The diagnosis was confirmed by High Resolution Computerized Tomography (HRCT) in all cases. Student-t and Spearman correlation tests were used in statistical analysis. p<0.05 was considered significant. Results: The median age of initial symptoms of the patı en ts was 12 months (1-156 months); the median age at diagnosis was 72 months (1-168 months). The most common sites of previous pneumonia were right (18.5%) and left (13%) lower lobes as well as the most frequent sites of bronchiectasis being left lower lobe (51.9% and right lower lobe (50%). In 44.4% of the patients, an underlying etiology uıas unidentified. The most proued or probable etiologies of bronchiectasis were asthma (20.4%), cystic fibrosis (11.1%) and immunodeficiencies (ll.l%). Moderately positive correlations were determined between the age of diagnosis (r: 0.27, p: 0.04), the symptomatic duration before diagnosis (r: 0.40, p: 0.00) and the number of involved lobes. The surgery was performed in only 3 cases (5.6%). Conclusion: Recurrent lower respiratory infections should be considered for the development of bronchiectasis in childhood in childhood. After the lower respiratory infections, children with recurrent lung complaints should be evaluated for bronchiectasis in differential diagnosis.