Bronchiectasis is the abnormal dilation of the airways in the lung. Normal, healthy lungs produce a small amount of mucus every day that gets moved into the mouth and swallowed into the stomach. However, when airways in the lung dilate, the lungs are unable to clear mucus effectively. This causes mucus to build up and leads to bacterial growth in the mucus. These bacteria cause inflammation, which leads to more mucus build up and more airway dilation. Bronchiectasis results in a pulmonary disease that is characterized by a productive cough, shortness of breath and periodic exacerbations.
“Bronchiectasis has long been considered a neglected disease, and there is no cure,” says Frederick Jung, MD, a board-certified pulmonary and critical care physician on the medical staff at Baylor University Medical Center (Baylor Dallas), part of Baylor Scott & White Health, and a bronchiectasis specialist. “With the incidence of the disease increasing, it is important for clinicians to recognize bronchiectasis and know when to refer patients for advanced care.”
Many different conditions can cause bronchiectasis, ranging from common diseases like COPD to rare diseases like cystic fibrosis or alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. It can even be a side effect of some cancers or cancer treatments.
Treatments have traditionally consisted of inhaled medications and chest physical therapy that focuses on loosening the mucus in the chest and making it easier to cough up. Antibiotics are also commonly used, both for periods of exacerbations and to treat chronic infections. Despite these treatments, many patients have progressive disease, and some patients will need a lung transplant.
“There is hope on the horizon for patients with bronchiectasis with recent advances in treatment options over the last few years,” Dr. Jung says. “New medications targeting inflammation are in clinical trials, and will hopefully be approved in the coming years. New antibiotics have also been approved to treat some of the chronic infections that coexist with bronchiectasis.”
The Advanced Lung Disease Clinic at Baylor Dallas brings together the expertise of numerous physicians on the medical staff of Baylor Dallas to diagnose and treat patients with bronchiectasis, pulmonary hypertension, interstitial lung disease and a variety of other types of advanced lung disease.
