Protracted bacterial bronchitis is one of the major causes of chronic cough in childhood. Although immunodeficiencies are rare, they are conditions that should be investigated in the etiology of protracted bacterial bronchitis. In our study, we aimed to examine the results of the immunological evaluation in patients diagnosed with protracted bacterial bronchitis based on history, clinical, radiological and bronchoscopy findings.Thirty one patients who underwent flexible bronchoscopy with the suspicion of protracted bacterial bronchitis followed in Hacettepe University İhsan Doğramacı Children`s Hospital between January 2011 and December 2014 were included in the study.

The median age was 7 years (2.5-14 years). The mean duration of cough was 11 months (6-48 months). In bronchoscopy, purulent secretion was found in 51.6% of patients, bronchomalacia in 3.2%, and tracheomalacia in 3.2% of patients. When the immunoglobulin (Ig) levels were checked, it was discovered that 9.6% of the patients had low Ig G and 3.2% of the patients had low Ig A and one patient was diagnosed with agammaglobulinemia. Due to the development of bronchiectasis in protracted bacterial bronchitis, diagnosis and appropriate treatment are important. It is thought that immunological examination for the etiology of these patients will contribute to the diagnosis of underlying immunodeficiencies.

Keywords: protracted bacterial bronchitis, bronchiectasis, immunodeficiency