Primary Pulmonary Tuberculosis as a Cause of Bronchiectasis in Children

¹ The Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University Medical School, San Francisco, California.

1) Bronchiectasis following the primary infection with tuberculosis is a common complication, and should be looked for in the presence of any massive roentgen shadow.

2) Bronchiectasis in the upper lobes is less apt to be symptomatic, but in other parts of the lung demands treatment.

3) Treatment should first be directed toward re-expansion of atelectasis, which predisposes to bronchiectasis.

4) Lobectomy is the treatment of choice when symptoms are present, and should be resorted to in children.

5) The term epituberculous should be dropped as being inadequate to describe shadows that have varied pathological and mechanical implications.

6) The serious character of bronchiectasis as a complication of the primary infection gives added weight to the importance of prophylaxis against tuberculosis, especially in children.