Localised traction bronchiectasis ?

[Rosco1965]

Hi there i recently had a CT scan after my Covid positive and experiencing breathing issues. I still get these after 3 months i have attached my scan results my Respiratory Consultant said it was fine no issues. But i am curious as to what localised traction bronchiecstais actually is ?

[Hidden]

My understanding is that the covid has resulted in some scarring in the right middle lobe (fibrosis). Localised traction bronchiectasis in this instance is where some of the airways (bronchioles) in the immediate vicinity of the scarring have permanently widened in direct response to (or as a direct result of) the inflammation caused by covid damaging the elastic nature of the lung tissue. LTB is not something chronic or progressive, the damage it causes is limited to the extent of the scarring and finite with it. Interestingly, it’s also not strictly speaking bronchiectasis depending on who you talk to.

[Rosco1965 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for your reply my Consultant didnt make too big a deal out of said it was likely old from when maybe i was a kid. Said the scan was normal but i read this about a week later and didnt seem so normal to me. Or maybe as a result of still getting a bit air hunger after three months i am looking for something thats not there

[Hidden in reply to Rosco1965]

If they’re saying it’s old scarring rather than from the covid, probably so: from what I’m seeing/hearing, prolonged air hunger is proving to be a pretty common post viral issue, lasting several months in some people, to the point that we still don’t know how long is normal for a full recovery, or what full recovery actually looks like in practical terms. I just assumed it was covid related due to the context of your post. From what I understand, I believe it is possible to tell older damage from newer issues on HRCT, so it’s entirely possible that you have some LTB as a result of a past infection. Have you had spirometry to see what your lung function is doing?

One of the reasons we don’t routinely scan people looking for things is because the odds are high that we’d find something and our knowledge of the human body is still fairly rudimentary: we scan when there are suggestions of a problem, but even then, not everything found in scan will necessarily be of relevance or require action. I have a congenital malformation of my skull/brain that is believed to be found in upwards of 1 in every 1000 people, but very rarely ever causes problems. But for us ‘lucky’ few, it’s more usually a completely incidental finding when you MRI for something else or during a post mortem. I can only imagine how frustrating and unsettling the situation must be for you right now, but in the absence of any evidence to the contrary beyond the ct, I think this may be a situation where all you can do is wait and see a bit more.

[Rosco1965 in reply to Hidden]

Hi there yes the air hunger is a strange feeling, its not full on breathlessness just a feeling that i need an extra breath every now and again. I had a spirometry and my results were ok

FEV1 was 95 % of predicted, FCV was 105% of predicted and ratio was 73% so pretty normal. Also had a good Ecocardiogram and treadmill stress test so its nor cardio related.

It is unsettling i am back at work now and getting by but its quite hard at times. As you say a lot of people with good results with no obvious cause are getting feelings of air hunger .My Resp. Cons. said he thinks its Dysfunctional Breathing pattern. I think he is clutching a bit there to be honest.