Bronchiectasis is chronic widening and damage of the airways that can lead to cough, sputum production, and recurrent infections.
Common symptoms include a long-term cough, regular sputum production, repeated chest infections, breathlessness, wheeze, and sometimes coughing blood.
Imaging helps confirm the airway changes, assess how extensive they are, and look for complications or other lung problems contributing to symptoms.
CT of the chest is especially useful because it shows the airway changes more clearly than a plain chest X-ray.
Care often includes treating infections, airway clearance techniques, and managing the underlying cause where possible.
This entry explains the condition. The next step is having a radiologist interpret your specific scan, not a general definition.