Bronchiectasis in association with coeliac disease
- aDepartment of Chest Medicine, West Suffolk Hospital, Bury St Edmunds IP33 2QZ, UK, bDepartment of Radiology, Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge CB2 2QQ, UK
- Dr R Mahadeva, Dept of Respiratory Medicine, Clinic 2A, Box 40, Addenbrookes Hospital, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 2QQ, UK.
- Received 21 July 1997
- Revision requested 3 December 1997
- Revised 11 February 1998
- Accepted 11 February 1998
Abstract
A 48 year old woman presented with a history of fatigue, regular sputum production, and wheeze. High resolution computed tomographic scanning of the thorax demonstrated widespread bronchiectasis. Coeliac disease was diagnosed on the basis of an iron deficiency anaemia, subtotal villous atrophy on small bowel biopsy, and raised anti-gliadin and anti-endomysial antibodies. The temporal relationship of her bronchiectasis and coeliac disease, and the subsequent stabilisation of her clinical symptoms and improvement in pulmonary physiology following treatment with inhaled corticosteroids, suggests a relationship between the two conditions which may be due to immunological mechanisms.
