title: Plastic bronchitis: new insights and a classification scheme.
abstract: Plastic bronchitis is a rare disease in which there is the formation of large gelatinous or rigid branching airway casts. The history of the disease is reviewed and a classification system is proposed based on our current understanding. This system classifies plastic bronchitis by clinical disease association and cast histology. A summary of the medical literature is included together with guidelines for treatment. The evidence for these treatment decisions is reviewed.
authors.affiliation: University of California at San Diego, San Diego, California, USA.
authors.forename: Priscilla
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Madsen
authors.forename: Samir A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: Bruce K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Rubin
mesh_terms: D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000453:epidemiology; D001991:Bronchitis / Q000145:classification* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D015897:Comorbidity; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000473:pathology; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans