title: Should the bronchiectasis treatment given to cystic fibrosis patients be extrapolated to those with bronchiectasis from other causes?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To profile the characteristics of adult patients with bronchiectasis, drawing comparisons between cystic fibrosis (CF) patients and those with bronchiectasis from other causes in order to determine whether it is rational to extrapolate the bronchiectasis treatment given to CF patients to those with bronchiectasis from other causes.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective analysis of the medical charts of 87 patients diagnosed with bronchiectasis and under follow-up treatment at our outpatient clinic. Patients who had tuberculosis (current or previous) were excluded. We evaluated the clinical, functional, and treatment data of the patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 87 patients with bronchiectasis, 38 (43.7%) had been diagnosed with CF, through determination of sweat sodium and chloride concentrations or through genetic analysis, whereas the disease was due to another etiology in 49 (56.3%), of whom 34 (39.0%) had been diagnosed with idiopathic bronchiectasis. The mean age at diagnosis was lower in the patients with CF than in those without (14.2 vs. 24.2 years; p < 0.05). The prevalence of symptoms (cough, expectoration, hemoptysis, and wheezing) was similar between the groups. Colonization by Pseudomonas aeruginosa or Staphylococcus aureus was more common in the CF patients (82.4 vs. 29.7% and 64.7 vs. 5.4%, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The causes and clinical manifestations of bronchiectasis are heterogeneous, and it is important to identify the differences. It is crucial that these differences be recognized so that new strategies for the management of patients with bronchiectasis can be developed.
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto do Coração, Hospital das Clínicas, São Paulo, Brasil. rathanazio@yahoo.com.br
authors.forename: Rodrigo Abensur
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Athanazio
authors.forename: Samia Zahi
authors.initials: SZ
authors.lastname: Rached
authors.forename: Ciro
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rohde
authors.forename: Regina Carvalho
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.forename: Frederico Leon Arrabal
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stelmach
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001987:Bronchiectasis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D057285:Precision Medicine; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult