Bronchiectasis

Date: 26 November 2013

B Bronchogram showing bronchiectasis

Copyright:

Fungal Infection Trust

Notes:

Bronchography (A & B)is an old technique for visualising the bronchial tree, by introducing radio-opaque dye into the airways and then taking a chest Xray. It was the first means used to diagnose bronchiectasis, seen in these examples below. An historical description of the technique from 1922 can be seen here 

Nowadays CT scanning of the chest is used for this purpose with 3D reconstruction in some cases. 

White cell scan (C) This pair of white cell scans from different people show almost no white cells in the lungs on the left, as in a healthy person (the spleen is the ‘hottest area). The scan on the right shows grossly increased update, especially in the left lung (seen on the right). This is the typical feature of severe bronchiectasis with large amounts of neutrophils and other phagocytes present.  

Sinusitis Plain X-ray (D) of the face showing the maxillary sinuses. The right maxillary sinus is complete fluid filled and the left side (seen on the right) has a fluid level. These features may be seen with severe acute bacterial sinusitis, but also other causes of sinusitis, including allergic rhinosinusitis.  


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