نبذة مختصرة : Introduction: Chronic cough is the cough that lasts for 8 weeks. There are many causes of chronic cough with normal chest x-ray: upper airway diseases ("post-nasal drip syndrome", otitis, pharyngeal/laryngeal inflammation, tumors or infections); lower airways disease (asthma, bronchiectasis - BE, smoking, early COPD); inhaled foreign bodies; thyroid compressions; lung cancer (LC); interstitial lung disease (ILD); cardiovascular condition (mitral stenosis, left ventricular failure, venous hypertension); gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD); dysphagia with recurrent aspiration; drug exposure (angiotensin-converting enzyme-ACE-inhibitors, beta blockers, psychogenic causes). Aim of the study: The further work-up for chronic cough etiology includes medical history, chest x-ray (profile), respiratory functional tests, computed tomography (for early ILD, LC, bronchiolitis or BE), bronchoscopy (in any LC suspicion), cardiac examination with ultrasound, sputum examination for germs (inclusive for mycobacterium). Productive chronic cough without pathological chest x-ray could include foreign bodies (different toys in children, tooth, bone, and aliments in any patients); parasite (hydatid membranes, ascaris); mucus plug (asthma, bronchial aspergillosis, cystic fibrosis, pneumonia, alveolar proteinosis); blood clot; pus; alimentary products in esophageal fistula or aspiration; microlithiasis. Conclusion: A study in Pulmonology Clinic on 90 patients with chronic cough and normal chest x-ray found: early asthma in 33 patients (36.6%), tonsillitis and nasal polyps 21 (23.3%), BE 21 (23.3%), GERD 18 (20%), cardiovascular diseases with stasis 12 (13.3%), treatment with ACE inhibitors 9 (10%), laryngitis 2 (2.2%), foreign bodies 5 (5.5% tooth, vegetal aliments, 1 coin (1.1%), LC 2 (2.2%), laryngeal cancer 2 (2.2%). ENT examination and bronchoscopy will be performed in any undiagnosed case of chronic cough to exclude malignancy and foreign bodies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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