Solutions for difficult diagnostic cases of acute exacerbations of chronicbronchitis

Acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis (AECB) is a very common condition, which presents with deteriorating sputum production and dyspnoea in a pati ent with pre-existing COPD or chronic bronchitis. As these symptoms are rel atively non-specific and also the presenting feature of a wide range of oth er conditions, the physician should carefully consider the differential dia gnosis before deciding on whether or not a patient indeed has AECB. The dif ferential diagnosis can be summarised as pneumonia, pneumothorax, cardiac f ailure/cor pulmonale, bronchiectasis, asthma, tuberculosis, sinusitis and o ther forms of upper respiratory tract sepsis, diffuse panbronchiolitis, lun g cancer, gastro-oesophageal reflux, the presence of a foreign body in the airway, melioidosis, and lung abscess. This article aims to discuss these c onditions, with brief presentation of clinical cases, in the evaluation of differential diagnosis of AECB. Copyright (C) 2001 S. KargerAG, Basel.