[Chronic pulmonary alterations in children with long-lasting productive cough]

A productive (sounding) cough is always abnormal, and suppurative lung disease should be considered. A chronic suppurative cough may be associated with the destruction of the bronchial wall (bronchiectasis). The most commonly identifiable cause of suppurative cough is cystic fibrosis. This article, which is accompamied by an illustrative CT-scan, describes two paediatric cases of cystic fibrosis and primary ciliary dyskinesia and suggests appropriate avenues of clinical investigation, when chronic suppurative cough presents in children.