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Case series of idiopathic obliterative bronchiolitis in adults: Insights into a rare condition Cover

Case series of idiopathic obliterative bronchiolitis in adults: Insights into a rare condition

Open Access
|Feb 2026

Abstract

English:

Obliterative bronchiolitis is a rare and complex obstructive pulmonary disorder involving inflammatory and fibroproliferative changes of the small airways. We report three adult cases of idiopathic bronchiolitis obliterans diagnosed at the “Marius Nasta” Institute of Pulmonology, Bucharest, between 2016 and 2025. The patients, aged 30–68 years, presented with exertional dyspnoea and fatigue, and all exhibited severe obstructive ventilatory impairment with significant oxygen desaturation during the 6-min walk test. Diagnosis was confirmed by high-resolution inspiratory–expiratory computed tomography in two cases and by lung biopsy in one case. Treatment consisted of systemic and inhaled corticosteroids, with one patient also receiving longterm intermittent azithromycin therapy. Outcomes varied: two patients achieved relative clinical stability, while one experienced progressive respiratory decline leading to death. These cases illustrate the diagnostic and therapeutic challenges of idiopathic bronchiolitis obliterans and highlight its unpredictable course. Early recognition and individualised management are essential, but further research is needed to establish effective treatment strategies and improve prognosis.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/pneum-2025-0038 | Journal eISSN: 2247-059X | Journal ISSN: 2067-2993
Language: English
Page range: 136 - 142
Published on: Feb 16, 2026
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Publication frequency: Volume open

© 2026 Ştefania-Florina Oprea, Stefan Dumitrache-Rujinski, Ionela Belaconi, Diana Leonte, Alina-Valentina Ďobrotă, Claudia-Lucia Toma, published by Romanian Society of Pneumology
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.