Bronchiectasis combined with chronic sinusitis following Celiac disease: a case report

Celiac disease is a disease triggered by a protein called gluten. Celiac disease has intestinal and extraintestinal manifestations. Bronchiectasis is a permanent dilation of the bronchi that causes symptoms, such as cough producing a large amount of sputum, recurrent respiratory infections, and breathlessness. In addition, bronchiectasis can present in 60% of cases with chronic rhinosinusitis.

A 40-year-old Arab woman presented with a worsening old cough with an increased amount of sputum; the patient was diagnosed with Celiac disease 7 months prior. Investigations started with laboratory tests followed by a computed tomography scan for the head and chest, bronchoscopy, bronchoalveolar lavage, and spirometry; the final diagnosis was bronchiectasis with chronic rhinosinusitis. She was advised to commit to the gluten-free diet, in addition to the medications prescribed for her bronchiectasis and chronic rhinosinusitis.

Celiac disease and bronchiectasis might share an immunologic disturbance that caused both entities, so Celiac disease should be kept in mind as an etiology for pulmonary diseases.