Bronchiectasis

Overview

Bronchiectasis is a chronic respiratory condition in which the bronchi, the airways that carry air into the lungs, become permanently widened, thickened, and damaged. This structural damage impairs the normal clearance of mucus, allowing secretions to pool in the airways and creating an environment prone to recurrent infection and inflammation, which in turn causes further airway damage in a self-perpetuating cycle. Common symptoms include a persistent cough producing large amounts of sputum, recurrent chest infections, breathlessness, fatigue, and sometimes coughing up blood. Bronchiectasis can result from prior severe infections, underlying conditions affecting mucus clearance or immunity, airway obstruction, or other diseases, and it often coexists with conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Diagnosis typically relies on imaging, particularly high-resolution computed tomography, alongside assessment of lung function and infection. Management focuses on airway clearance techniques, treating and preventing infections with antibiotics, reducing inflammation, and addressing underlying causes. Within the scope of the International Journal of Thorax, this collection includes related respiratory work, including a study of the impact of bronchiectasis on COPD exacerbations and an evaluation of comorbidities among COPD phenotypes. The page gathers peer-reviewed, open-access research relevant to airway disease, its diagnosis, and its management.

Research published in this journal

4 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.

This page summarises published research for orientation; it is not medical or professional advice.

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