Although considered as an orphan disease in the developed countries, bronchiectasis are frequent in our country as in all emerging ones. They are most common in women and they represent a frequent cause for consultation and hospitalization in pulmonology departments.
To determine the etiology and prognosis of the bronchectasies in women, a retrospective study was performed including 200 patients.
The mean age was 55.60 years. The diagnosis of bronchiectasis was confirmed in all patients. Bronchiectasis were post-tuberculosis in 56.5% of cases and primitive in 29.5% of cases. The systemic diseases, in particular the rheumatoid polyarthritis represented 3% of cases. The infectious complications and the chronic respiratory failure were more frequent in patients with primitive bronchiectasis than those with secondary bronchiectasis. However this difference was statistically significant only for the chronic respiratory failure.
The bronchiectasis remains frequent in women in our country, as a sequel of pulmonary tuberculosis more than primitive forms. Bronchiectasis secondary to systemic diseases, although rare, must be known.