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Diffuse panbronchiolitis in children misdiagnosed as asthma: A case report
Anuvat Klubdaeng1, Prakarn Tovichien2
1Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700, Thailand.
World Journal of Clinical Cases
|May 19, 2025
Summary
Diffuse panbronchiolitis (DPB) in a child, initially misdiagnosed as asthma, resolved with azithromycin. Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial for favorable outcomes in this rare inflammatory lung disease.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonology
- Pediatric Respiratory Medicine
- Clinical Case Study
Background:
- Diffuse panbronchiolitis (DPB) is a rare chronic inflammatory lung disease often misdiagnosed as asthma, especially in children.
- DPB presents with chronic cough, breathlessness, and sinusitis, persisting for years.
Observation:
- A 12-year-old girl with a history of asthma presented with persistent cough and sinusitis unresponsive to asthma treatment.
- High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) revealed characteristic findings of DPB, including centrilobular nodules and a 'tree-in-bud' pattern.
Findings:
- Long-term azithromycin therapy led to rapid resolution of cough and sinusitis within a month.
- One-year follow-up HRCT scans demonstrated complete normalization of lung abnormalities, confirming treatment efficacy.
Implications:
- This case underscores the importance of considering DPB in pediatric patients with refractory respiratory symptoms.
- Timely and accurate diagnosis, followed by appropriate treatment such as azithromycin, can lead to favorable outcomes and disease resolution in DPB.
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