Bronchorrhea

Bronchorrhea is the production of more than 100 mL per day of watery sputum.^[1] Chronic bronchitis is a common cause, but it may also be caused by asthma,^[2] pulmonary contusion,^[3] bronchiectasis, tuberculosis, cancer, scorpion stings, severe hypothermia and poisoning by organophosphates and other poisons. Massive bronchorrhea may occur in either bronchioloalveolar carcinoma, or in metastatic cancer that is growing in a bronchioloalveolar pattern.^[1][4][5] It commonly occurs in the setting of chest wall trauma, in which setting it can cause lobar atelectasis.^[6]

Treatment

Treatment options include

• gefitinib - epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor^{[7][8][9][10][11]}
• indomethacin^[12][13][14]
• corticosteroids^[15]
• octreotide^[16]
• radiation therapy^[17]
• bronchoscopy as is often done in the post traumatic setting.^[6]

References