Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal recessive disease characterized by an elevated sweat chloride level, diffuse bronchiectasis, and pancreatic exocrine deficiency. It is the most common lethal inherited disease in whites. Most patients present at birth or early childhood, although later diagnoses are not infrequent. Once CF was uniformly fatal at an early age, but advances in nutrition, airway clearance, and infection management have led to an average survival of 37 years. The newest aspect of care is the advent of protein modulators, which may increase life expectancy even further. This chapter discusses the epidemiology, genetics, pathophysiology and pathogenesis, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and treatment of CF. The definition, epidemiology, etiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, management, and prognosis of non-CF bronchiectasis are also covered. Figures illustrate normal and abnormal CF transmembrane conductance regulators, the vicious cycle hypothesis of lung injury, rates of respiratory germs by age, the diagnosis of CF, the therapeutics pipeline for CF, forced expiratory volume in 1 second lung function percent predicted versus body mass index, and the median predicted survival age of patients with CF. A chest x-ray and chest computed tomographic scan of CF are also provided. Tables outline the most common CF mutations in 2011, class mutations of CF, a mnemonic for acute exacerbations of CF, the diagnosis of CF-related diabetes in a stable patient, sweat test values, and the differential diagnosis of bronchiectasis.This chapter contains 9 highly rendered figures, 6 tables, 143 references, 1 teaching slide set, and 5 MCQs.
A Differential Diagnosis of Osteolytic Lesions in the Curated Skeletal Remains of a Tantalus Monkey (Chlorocebus tantalus)