Abstract
Bronchiectasis is a heterogenous disease with multiple etiologies and associated comorbidities.
As bronchiectasis is a complex disease, it is unsound to think of it as a single disease
particularly when the differing etiologies are likely to be driving bronchiectasis
through initial divergent molecular pathways, known as endotypes, that phenotypically
present as the same disease due to protracted airway inflammation, but revealing potential
differing underlying mechanisms that may have disparity of drug responses. Improved
understanding of the cellular immune, inflammatory, and microbiological milieu associated
with clinical and radiological features of bronchiectasis has resulted in the recognition
of important endotypes and phenotypes that will allow for personalized treatments
to improve quality of life and outcomes of patients with bronchiectasis. Here we discuss
clinical and radiological phenotypes, as well as emerging molecular endotypes that
are possible treatable traits in bronchiectasis.
Keywords
bronchiectasis - phenotype - endotype - radiology - exacerbations
