Infectious Agents Associated with Cylindrical Bronchiectasis

¹ Naval Medical Research Unit No. 4, and the Ear, Nose and Throat Department, U. S. Naval Hospital, Great Lakes, Illinois

In view of a relatively high incidence of cylindrical bronchiectasis as a complication of bronchopneumonias in Naval recruits, a study was undertaken on the infectious agents associated with this from of bronchiectasis. Isolation data from specimens obtained in 173 cases by bronchoscopy (including 108 cases of cylindrical bronchiectasis), were presented. Only two viral isolations, both of influenza B, were made in two cases of bronchiectasis. Adenovirus-antibody geometric mean titers were highest in cases of bronchiectasis (5.2), and lowest in non-pulmonary conditions (2.0). The incidence of patients with antibody titers against adenovirus of 1:64 and greater was 46.1 per cent in bronchiectasis, 27.0 per cent in bronchopneumonia (P=<0.03), 16.7 per cent in chronic bronchitis, and none in the other conditions. Hemophiuls influenzae was isolated only in bronchiectasis (5.5 per cent), whereas, oral commensals were present almost universally. Statistically significant (P=<0.03) difference in isolation incidence of anaerobic mycoplasma was found between patients with bronchiectasis (32.5 per cent), and those with bronchopneumonia (14.3 per cent). There was no evidence of Eaton agent infection in the population studied.