Bronchiectasis : do we need aetiological investigation ?

PALAVRAS-CHAVE Bronquiectasias; Et iologia; Invest igação Abstract Bronchiectasis (BE) is characterized by irreversible dilat ion and damage to the bronchial walls. It is a morphological expression of a large variety of pathologies. The t rue prevalence of BE is unknown. It is known, however, that in Third World count ries it is common due to lung infect ions. It s current prevalence in developed count ries is rather signifi cant due to a greater capacity for diagnosis, its associat ion with highly prevalent diseases and to a greater chronicity of some of the underlying pathologies. Over the last few decades there has been lit t le interest in the invest igat ion of BE, unless it is associated with cyst ic fi brosis. One of the reasons is the presupposit ion that t reatment is the same for all pat ients diagnosed with BE, regardless of the underlying aet iology. Several works carried out over t he last decade show that a diagnosis based on aet iology changes both t he approach and the t reatment of BE within a relevant percentage of pat ients, with a consequent change in the prognosis. Current ly, systemat ic invest igat ion into the aet iology of BE is recommended, part icularly in those disorders that respond to specifi c t reatment . © 2010 Published by Elsevier España, S.L. on behalf of Sociedade Portuguesa de Pneumologia. All rights reserved.