BRONCHIECTASIS IN PATIENTS WITH ALPHA-1-ANTITRYPSIN DEFICIENCY - A RARE OCCURRENCE

The chest radiographs and computed tomographic (CT) scans of seven pat ients with homozygous proteinase inhibitor phenotype Z (PiZZ) alpha1-a ntitrypsin deficiency were reviewed. All patients except one showed se vere emphysema with or without bullous change. Bronchiectasis was dete cted in three patients by CT but only in two patients by chest radiogr aphy. A young patient developed bronchiectasis before symptomatic emph ysema. We stress that patients with PiZZ are susceptible to bronchiect asis, and the widespread use of CT should reveal its true incidence wh ich might not be as low as generally believed.