First Pulmonary Clinic, "G. Papanikolaou" General Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Int J Gen Med. 2012;5:41-4. doi: 10.2147/IJGM.S28447. Epub 2012 Jan 11.
Williams-Campbell syndrome, also known as bronchomalacia, is a rare disorder characterized by a deficiency of cartilage in subsegmental bronchi, leading to distal airway collapse and bronchiectasis. There have been few reports about patients affected by saccular bronchiectasis, paracicatricial emphysema, and diminished cartilage. These are all characteristic of Williams-Campbell syndrome.
This report presents a 57-year-old woman with progressive dyspnea, cough, sputum production, and fever. The clinical and laboratory examination revealed that the patient had a respiratory infection due to bronchiectasis caused by Williams-Campbell syndrome, which was undiagnosed in the patient until then.
Although a rare syndrome, when patients' signs and symptoms include recurrent respiratory infections, bronchiectasis, productive cough, and dyspnea, Williams-Campbell syndrome should be included in the differential diagnosis.
Williams-Campbell 综合征，又称支气管软化症，是一种罕见疾病，其特征为亚段支气管软骨发育不良，导致远端气道塌陷和支气管扩张。目前关于囊状支气管扩张症、假性囊泡性肺气肿和软骨减少的患者报告较少，这些都是 Williams-Campbell 综合征的特征。
本报告介绍了一位 57 岁女性，其逐渐出现呼吸困难、咳嗽、咳痰和发热症状。临床和实验室检查显示，该患者因 Williams-Campbell 综合征导致的支气管扩张而患有呼吸道感染，此前该患者并未被诊断出该病。
尽管是一种罕见的综合征，但当患者的症状包括反复发生的呼吸道感染、支气管扩张、咳嗽和呼吸困难时，应将 Williams-Campbell 综合征纳入鉴别诊断。
