Rare Association of Childhood Bronchiectasis with VACTERL Anomalies; a Case Report

VACTERL association is a sporadic non-random cluster of multi-organ congenital anomalies. It is an acronym that describes the association of vertebral defects (V), anal atresia (A), cardiac defects (C), tracheoesophageal fistula (TE), renal (R) and limb (L) anomalies. Three or more anomalies should be present to make the diagnosis of VACTERL association.Bronchiectasis is an uncommon respiratory disease in childhood. It is often associated with underlying aetiology. Bronchiectasis has been described in association with VACTERL associations extremely rarely.We report an 8-year-old girl with known multiple congenital anomalies including tracheoesophageal fistula, atrial septal defect and imperforate anus presented with recurrent respiratory infections since 06 months of age, who was diagnosed with bilateral bronchiectasis later. The diagnosis of bronchiectasis in association with VACTERL anomalies was made following exclusion of specific aetiology with extensive investigations.This case demonstrates the rare association of bronchiectasis with VACTERL anomalies