The area of the lung served by the affected bronchial tube may become severely infected, resulting in pneumonia . Diagnosis Chest x ray may reveal evidence of bronchiectasis, and CT scans are particularly good at revealing the thick, dilated bronchial walls of bronchiectasis. A careful search for other underlying diseases is important, looking in particular for ciliary abnormalities, cystic fibrosis, or immunoglobulin deficiencies. Treatment Treatment should involve efforts to resolve any underlying disorder. Infections will require antibiotics , obstruction may require the removal of a foreign object or tumor.
Medications are available to help thin the sputum, so that it can be more effectively coughed up.
This is called chest physical therapy , or percussion and postural drainage. When a particular area of the lung is constantly and severely infected, surgery may be needed to remove it. When bleeding occurs from irritated bronchial tubes and overgrown bronchial blood vessels, surgery may be required either to remove an area of the bronchial tube, or to inject the bleeding blood vessel with a material to stop the bleeding. In some patients, bronchiectasis eventually leads to a constantly low level of blood oxygen, despite other treatments. These patients usually have an associated increase in the size of the right side of their hearts, along with a decrease in the heart's ability to pump blood through the lungs.