title: Williams-Campbell syndrome: a case report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Williams-Campbell syndrome, also known as bronchomalacia, is a rare disorder characterized by a deficiency of cartilage in subsegmental bronchi, leading to distal airway collapse and bronchiectasis. There have been few reports about patients affected by saccular bronchiectasis, paracicatricial emphysema, and diminished cartilage. These are all characteristic of Williams-Campbell syndrome.
  
  
  METHODS
  This report presents a 57-year-old woman with progressive dyspnea, cough, sputum production, and fever. The clinical and laboratory examination revealed that the patient had a respiratory infection due to bronchiectasis caused by Williams-Campbell syndrome, which was undiagnosed in the patient until then.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although a rare syndrome, when patients' signs and symptoms include recurrent respiratory infections, bronchiectasis, productive cough, and dyspnea, Williams-Campbell syndrome should be included in the differential diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: First Pulmonary Clinic, "G. Papanikolaou" General Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Konoglou
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Porpodis
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zarogoulidis
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Loridas
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Katsikogiannis
authors.forename: Alexandros
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mitrakas
authors.forename: Vasilis
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Zervas
authors.forename: Theodoros
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kontakiotis
authors.forename: Despoina
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Papakosta
authors.forename: Panagiotis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Boglou
authors.forename: Stamatia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bakali
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Courcoutsakis
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zarogoulidis