Generalized bronchiectasis associated with deficiency of cartilage in the bronchial tree.

Bronchiectasis may occasionally affect almost the entire bronchial tree. Such changes can be the result either of developmental defects of the bronchial tree or of acquired inflammatory disease. For example, cystic lung and cystic bronchiectasis can result from both causes. The purpose of the present paper is to record five patients with a most unusual type of generalized bronchiectasis, and to submit evidence that its basis is deficiency of the cartilage of the bronchial walls, probably developmental in origin.