Extrathoracic airway hyperresponsiveness as a mechanism of post infectious cough: Case report

Abstract

Post-infectious cough is a common diagnosis in people with chronic cough. However, the specific infectious aetiology and cough mechanisms are seldom identified. We report a case of chronic cough after Mycoplasma pneumoniae lower respiratory tract infection with extrathoracic airway hyperresponsiveness as the cough mechanism. Extrathoracic airway hyperresponsiveness may be a common mechanism in post-infectious cough which may be useful both diagnostically and therapeutically since chronic cough with extrathoracic airway hyperresponsiveness responds to speech pathology treatment. © 2008 Ryan and Gibson; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.