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Clinical features of eosinophilic bronchitis
Jae Hak Joo1, Sang Joon Park, Sung Woo Park
1Department of Internal Medicine, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
The Korean Journal of Internal Medicine
|May 17, 2002
Summary
Eosinophilic bronchitis is a significant cause of chronic cough, affecting 12% of patients. Inhaled steroids effectively manage symptoms by reducing airway inflammation.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonology
- Allergy and Immunology
Background:
- Eosinophilic airway inflammation is common in asthma.
- Eosinophilic bronchitis, characterized by airway eosinophilia without hyper-responsiveness, affects a subset of chronic cough patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the incidence of eosinophilic bronchitis in chronic cough syndrome.
- To evaluate the clinical characteristics and disease progression of eosinophilic bronchitis.
Main Methods:
- Ninety-two patients with cough lasting over 3 weeks were assessed.
- Sputum differential cell count was performed; diagnosis required normal spirometry, no hyper-responsiveness, and sputum eosinophilia (>3%).
Main Results:
- Eosinophilic bronchitis accounted for 12% of chronic cough causes.
- Patients showed initial sputum eosinophilia (26.8% ± 6.1%).
- Inhaled steroid treatment improved cough and reduced sputum eosinophils (29.1% to 7.4%).
Conclusions:
- Eosinophilic bronchitis is a key cause of chronic cough.
- Sputum analysis is crucial for diagnosing airway inflammation.
- Inhaled corticosteroids provide effective symptom control, though the condition may be chronic.