In developing countries,characteristics of the chronic diseases may change in time because of changes in socioeconomic and health conditions. Our study aim was to evaluate the changing characteristics of non-CF bronchiectasis compared to our previous study (Karadag B. et al., Respiration 2005;72:233-8). Patients with non-CF bronchiectasis diagnosed and followed after 2001 were recruited into the study.Long-term follow up records and lung function tests were used to evaluate the course of the disease. Collected data were compared with our previous data. Of 100 patients included to the study,54% were male. There was an increase in the mean age of the patients compared to our previous data (12.7±4.3 vs . 7.4±3.7 years; p<0.005). Duration of symptomatic period before diagnosis was longer (6±3.7 vs. 4.9±3.7 years, p<0.005). As similar to the previous data, in 41% of the patients no underlying etiology could be detected. There was a change in the percentages of the detected etiology (2011 vs. 2001); postinfectious (21% vs. 29.7%, p=0.15), asthma (12% vs . 4.5%, p=0.07), immune deficiencies (12% vs. 15.3%, p=0.55), primary ciliary dyskinesia (11% vs . 6.3%, p=0.32) and foreign body aspiration (1% vs . 3.6%, p=0.37). During the follow-up period, in 25% of the patients the severity of the bronchiectasis improved. The rate of surgical management decreased from 23.4% to 9% compared to previous data (p=0.005). Clinical characteristics of childhood bronchiectasis seems to be changing in a 10-year interval. There is a tendency for a decrease in the prevalence of postinfectious bronchiectasis however uncontrolled asthma and primary ciliary dyskinesia seems to be increasing. Surgical management is used only for a small group of patients.
Erdem et al. (Thu,) studied this question.