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Clinical characteristics and etiologies of bronchiectasis in Korean children: A multicenter retrospective study
Eun Lee1, Jung Yeon Shim2, Hyung Young Kim3
1Department of Pediatrics, Chonnam National University Hospital, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Republic of Korea.
Insights
Pediatric bronchiectasis in Korea is often caused by respiratory infections. Chronic cough and recurrent pneumonia are key symptoms, necessitating further research for better prognosis.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Pulmonology
- Respiratory Medicine
- Clinical Epidemiology
Background:
- Bronchiectasis is an irreversible airway disease.
- Understanding its causes in children is crucial for management.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the etiologies and clinical features of bronchiectasis in Korean children.
- Identify common causes and presenting symptoms.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of 387 pediatric bronchiectasis cases.
- Data collected from 28 South Korean hospitals (2000-2017).
Main Results:
- Most common causes: respiratory infection (55.3%), bronchiolitis obliterans (14.3%), tuberculosis (12.3%).
- Key symptoms: chronic cough (68.0%), recurrent pneumonia (36.4%).
- Lowest lung function (FEV1) seen in interstitial lung disease-associated cases.
Conclusions:
- Bronchiectasis should be suspected in children with chronic cough and recurrent pneumonia.
- Further follow-up studies are needed to improve prognosis and reduce disease burden.
Background:
Bronchiectasis is a chronic pulmonary disease characterized by progressive and irreversible bronchial dilatation. The aim of the present study was to investigate the etiologies and clinical features of bronchiectasis in Korean children.
Methods:
We performed a retrospective review of the medical records for children diagnosed with bronchiectasis between 2000 and 2017 at 28 secondary or tertiary hospitals in South Korea.
Results:
A total of 387 cases were enrolled. The mean age at diagnosis was 9.2 ± 5.1 years and 53.5% of the patients were boys. The most common underlying cause of bronchiectasis was preexisting respiratory infection (55.3%), post-infectious bronchiolitis obliterans (14.3%), pulmonary tuberculosis (12.3%), and heart diseases (5.6%). Common initial presenting symptoms included chronic cough (68.0%), recurrent pneumonia (36.4%), fever (31.1%), and dyspnea (19.7%). The most predominantly involved lesions were left lower lobe (53.9%), right lower lobe (47.1%) and right middle lobe (40.2%). No significant difference was observed in the distribution of these involved lesions by etiology. The forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) levels were lowest in cases with interstitial lung disease-associated bronchiectasis, followed by those with recurrent aspiration and primary immunodeficiency.
Conclusions:
Bronchiectasis should be strongly considered in children with chronic cough and recurrent pneumonia. Long-term follow-up studies on pediatric bronchiectasis are needed to further clarify the prognosis and reduce the disease burden in these patients.
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