TY - JOUR
T1 - Serial high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) in children with chronic productive cough and bronchiectasis unrelated to cystic fibrosis
T2 - Correlations with clinical evaluation
AU - Patria, M. F.
AU - Fusi, M.
AU - Pietrogrande, M. C.
AU - Bonelli, N.
AU - Rusconi, F.
PY - 2006
Y1 - 2006
N2 - Objectives. To follow prospectively for 3 years children with chronic productive cough and non-Cystic Fibrosis bronchiectasis defined by high resolution computed tomographic scanning, in order to determine the evolution of lung damage; to compare their computed tomography scores with the results obtained with a simple clinical parameter (cough index) used to monitor the disease. Methods. We studied 22 children for 3 years, during which they underwent regular physiotherapy and antibiotic therapy for acute lower respiratory tract infections. The number of months/year of productive cough (cough index) was calculated for each patient for the 2 years before study entry and during the study. At the end of follow-up, chest high resolution computed tomographic (HRCT) was repeated. Results. During follow-up the cough index improved or remained stable in 19 children (86%); among these, HRCT scores decreased in 12, remained stable in 6 and worsened in 1. Mild and moderate bronchiectasis remained unchanged in 17 patients (77%) and completely resolved in 4. There was a close correlation between the change in cough index before and during the follow-up, and the change in HRCT scores (r = 0.66; p = 0.0008). Conclusion. The cough index significantly improved and the HRCT score of most patients improved or remained unchanged during the 3 years of systematic treatment; there was a close correlation between the change in the HRCT scores and the change in the cough index used to monitor the evolution of lung damage. Patients with a persistent productive cough do not need to repeat HRCT within a short time if the clinical symptoms improve or remain stable.
AB - Objectives. To follow prospectively for 3 years children with chronic productive cough and non-Cystic Fibrosis bronchiectasis defined by high resolution computed tomographic scanning, in order to determine the evolution of lung damage; to compare their computed tomography scores with the results obtained with a simple clinical parameter (cough index) used to monitor the disease. Methods. We studied 22 children for 3 years, during which they underwent regular physiotherapy and antibiotic therapy for acute lower respiratory tract infections. The number of months/year of productive cough (cough index) was calculated for each patient for the 2 years before study entry and during the study. At the end of follow-up, chest high resolution computed tomographic (HRCT) was repeated. Results. During follow-up the cough index improved or remained stable in 19 children (86%); among these, HRCT scores decreased in 12, remained stable in 6 and worsened in 1. Mild and moderate bronchiectasis remained unchanged in 17 patients (77%) and completely resolved in 4. There was a close correlation between the change in cough index before and during the follow-up, and the change in HRCT scores (r = 0.66; p = 0.0008). Conclusion. The cough index significantly improved and the HRCT score of most patients improved or remained unchanged during the 3 years of systematic treatment; there was a close correlation between the change in the HRCT scores and the change in the cough index used to monitor the evolution of lung damage. Patients with a persistent productive cough do not need to repeat HRCT within a short time if the clinical symptoms improve or remain stable.
KW - Bronchiectasis
KW - Chest
KW - Chronic productive cough
KW - HRCT score
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M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:33747048141
VL - 32
SP - 112
EP - 117
JO - Italian Journal of Pediatrics
JF - Italian Journal of Pediatrics
SN - 1720-8424
IS - 2
ER -