Bronchial breath sound

What it means

Bronchial breath sounds contain much higher frequency components than normal breath sounds due to alteration of the low pass filtering function of the alveoli, as occurs in consolidation. It is loud, hollow, and high pitch. Expiratory phase is longer than inspiratory phase with the inspiratory-expiratory ratio (I:E) changing from normal 3:1 to 1:2. There is distinct pause between inspiration and expiration due to absent alveolar phase. It is associated with whispering pectoriloquy.

Rare diseases that can present with this2

The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.

Part of the broader category