Reversible bronchiectasis caused by influenza virus mimicking Williams-Campbell syndrome

The term bronchiectasis refers to permanent enlargement of the bronchi. It is increasingly diagnosed because of high-resolution computed investigations. It can be congenital or acquired, the latter mostly following infection. Williams-Campbell syndrome is a rare form of congenital non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis. Here we report a 5-month-old girl with reversible bronchiectasis treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) caused by influenza virus following surgery for congenital heart disease. Chest CT showed an abnormally large bronchial tree mimicking Williams-Campbell syndrome. At 9 months later, chest CT showed regression of bronchiectasis and normalized caliber of previously collapsed segments in both lungs. This atypical course illustrates that influenza virus can cause reversible bronchiectasis in infants and mimic congenital disease such as Williams-Campbell syndrome.