Abstract
We have experienced a case of bronchiectasis with recurrent respiratory tract infection. A 53-year-old female was admitted to our hospital suffering from frequent fevers and heavy pus sputum. According to her medical history, she had suffered from pneumonia when she was 7 years old and at 14 she had been diagnosed with bronchiectasis. Since that time, she had repeated bouts of pneumonia almost yearly, and the fever associated with these attacks was increasingly severe. Chest X-ray taken on admission showed severe bronchiectasis in left upper lobe and right middle S5 segment. Most notably the left upper lobe was completely destroyed and had become a hotbed for infection. We evaluated this case and found that it was a good indication for left lobectomy. Right lung was not operated on because bronchiectasis was limited only to one segment. Post-operatively, fever was reduced and sputum had decreased, improving the quality of life significantly.
These findings suggest that it is very effective for the patients with bilateral bronchiectasis to resect the most damaged area of the lung.
