U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Format

Send to:

Choose Destination

Wheezing

MedGen UID:
21917
Concept ID:
C0043144
Sign or Symptom
Synonym: Wheezings
SNOMED CT: Wheezing symptom (272040008); Wheezy (56018004); Wheezing (56018004); Wheeze (56018004)
 
HPO: HP:0030828

Definition

A high-pitched whistling sound associated with labored breathing. [from HPO]

Term Hierarchy

CClinical test,  RResearch test,  OOMIM,  GGeneReviews,  VClinVar  
  • CROGVWheezing

Conditions with this feature

X-linked agammaglobulinemia
MedGen UID:
65123
Concept ID:
C0221026
Disease or Syndrome
X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA) is characterized by recurrent bacterial infections in affected males in the first two years of life. Recurrent otitis is the most common infection prior to diagnosis. Conjunctivitis, sinopulmonary infections, diarrhea, and skin infections are also frequently seen. Approximately 60% of individuals with XLA are recognized as having immunodeficiency when they develop a severe, life-threatening infection such as pneumonia, empyema, meningitis, sepsis, cellulitis, or septic arthritis. S pneumoniae and H influenzae are the most common organisms found prior to diagnosis and may continue to cause sinusitis and otitis after diagnosis and the initiation of gammaglobulin substitution therapy. Severe, difficult-to-treat enteroviral infections (often manifest as dermatomyositis or chronic meningoencephalitis) can be prevented by this treatment. The prognosis for individuals with XLA has improved markedly in the last 25 years as a result of earlier diagnosis, the development of preparations of gammaglobulin that allow normal concentrations of serum IgG to be achieved, and more liberal use of antibiotics.
Alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency
MedGen UID:
67461
Concept ID:
C0221757
Disease or Syndrome
Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) can present with hepatic dysfunction in individuals from infancy to adulthood and with chronic obstructive lung disease (emphysema and/or bronchiectasis), characteristically in individuals older than age 30 years. Individuals with AATD are also at increased risk for panniculitis (migratory, inflammatory, tender skin nodules which may ulcerate on legs and lower abdomen) and C-ANCA-positive vasculitis (granulomatosis with polyangiitis). Phenotypic expression varies within and between families. In adults, smoking is the major factor in accelerating the development of COPD; nonsmokers may have a normal life span, but can also develop lung and/or liver disease. Although reported, emphysema in children with AATD is extremely rare. AATD-associated liver disease, which is present in only a small portion of affected children, manifests as neonatal cholestasis. The incidence of liver disease increases with age. Liver disease in adults (manifesting as cirrhosis and fibrosis) may occur in the absence of a history of neonatal or childhood liver disease. The risk for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is increased in individuals with AATD.
Diffuse panbronchiolitis
MedGen UID:
163897
Concept ID:
C0878555
Disease or Syndrome
Diffuse panbronchiolitis (DPB) is a rare chronic inflammatory obstructive pulmonary disease primarily affecting the respiratory bronchioles. 'Diffuse' refers to the distribution of the lesions throughout both lungs, and 'pan-' refers to the involvement of inflammation in all layers of the respiratory bronchioles. Onset of the disorder occurs in the second to fifth decade of life, and is clinically manifest by chronic cough, exertional dyspnea, and sputum production. Most patients also have chronic paranasal sinusitis. If untreated, the disorder progresses to bronchiectasis, respiratory failure, and death (summary by Poletti et al., 2006).
Brain-lung-thyroid syndrome
MedGen UID:
369694
Concept ID:
C1970269
Disease or Syndrome
NKX2-1-related disorders range from benign hereditary chorea (BHC) to choreoathetosis, congenital hypothyroidism, and neonatal respiratory distress (also known as brain-lung-thyroid syndrome). Childhood-onset chorea, the hallmark of NKX2-1-related disorders, may or may not be associated with respiratory distress syndrome or congenital hypothyroidism. Chorea generally begins in early infancy or about age one year (most commonly) or in late childhood or adolescence, and progresses into the second decade after which it remains static or (rarely) remits. Pulmonary disease, the second most common manifestation, can include respiratory distress syndrome in neonates, interstitial lung disease in young children, and pulmonary fibrosis in older persons. The risk for pulmonary carcinoma is increased in young adults with an NKX2-1-related disorder. Thyroid dysfunction, the result of dysembryogenesis, can present as congenital hypothyroidism or compensated hypothyroidism. The risk for thyroid cancer is unknown and may not be increased. In one review, 50% of affected individuals had the full brain-lung-thyroid syndrome, 30% had involvement of brain and thyroid only, and 13% had isolated chorea only.
Primary ciliary dyskinesia 14
MedGen UID:
462486
Concept ID:
C3151136
Disease or Syndrome
Primary ciliary dyskinesia-14 (CILD14) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by recurrent respiratory infections associated with defects in ciliary inner dynein arms and axonemal disorganization (Merveille et al., 2011). For a general phenotypic description and a discussion of genetic heterogeneity of primary ciliary dyskinesia, see CILD1 (244400).
Primary ciliary dyskinesia 15
MedGen UID:
462487
Concept ID:
C3151137
Disease or Syndrome
Primary ciliary dyskinesia-15 (CILD15) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by recurrent respiratory infections associated with defects in ciliary inner dynein arms and axonemal disorganization (summary by Becker-Heck et al., 2011). For a general phenotypic description and a discussion of genetic heterogeneity of primary ciliary dyskinesia, see CILD1 (244400).
Autosomal recessive primary immunodeficiency with defective spontaneous natural killer cell cytotoxicity
MedGen UID:
816672
Concept ID:
C3810342
Disease or Syndrome
Immunodeficiency-20 is a rare autosomal recessive primary immunodeficiency characterized by functional deficiency of NK cells. Patient NK cells are defective in spontaneous cell cytotoxicity, but retain antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. Patients typically present early in childhood with severe herpes viral infections, particularly Epstein Barr virus (EBV), and human papillomavirus (HPV) (summary by Grier et al., 2012).
Ciliary dyskinesia, primary, 37
MedGen UID:
1615746
Concept ID:
C4539798
Disease or Syndrome
Progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis type 1
MedGen UID:
1645830
Concept ID:
C4551898
Disease or Syndrome
The phenotypic spectrum of ATP8B1 deficiency ranges from severe through moderate to mild. Severe ATP8B1 deficiency is characterized by infantile-onset cholestasis that progresses to cirrhosis, hepatic failure, and early death. Although mild-to-moderate ATP8B1 deficiency initially was thought to involve intermittent symptomatic cholestasis with a lack of hepatic fibrosis, it is now known that hepatic fibrosis may be present early in the disease course. Furthermore, in some persons with ATP8B1 deficiency the clinical findings can span the phenotypic spectrum, shifting over time from the mild end of the spectrum (episodic cholestasis) to the severe end of the spectrum (persistent cholestasis). Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is common across the phenotypic spectrum.
Primordial dwarfism-immunodeficiency-lipodystrophy syndrome
MedGen UID:
1823971
Concept ID:
C5774198
Disease or Syndrome
Primordial dwarfism-immunodeficiency-lipodystrophy syndrome (PDIL) is characterized by pre- and postnatal growth restriction, with extreme microcephaly, short stature, and absence of subcutaneous fat. There is also significant hematologic/immune dysfunction, with hypo- or agammaglobulinemia, as well as lymphopenia, anemia, and thrombocytopenia, and most affected individuals succumb to infection in early childhood (Parry et al., 2020).
Respiratory infections, recurrent, and failure to thrive with or without diarrhea
MedGen UID:
1824079
Concept ID:
C5774306
Disease or Syndrome
Recurrent respiratory infections and failure to thrive with or without diarrhea (RIFTD) is characterized by neonatal onset of chronic cough, episodic wheezing, recurrent lower respiratory tract infections, chronic diarrhea, and failure to thrive. Despite the resemblance to cystic fibrosis (CF; 219700), these patients have normal sweat chloride and pancreatic elastase tests (Bertoli-Avella et al., 2022).

Professional guidelines

PubMed

Alhassen Z, Vali P, Guglani L, Lakshminrusimha S, Ryan RM
J Perinatol 2021 Jan;41(1):6-16. Epub 2020 Aug 4 doi: 10.1038/s41372-020-0757-3. PMID: 32753712
Devonshire AL, Kumar R
Allergy Asthma Proc 2019 Nov 1;40(6):389-392. doi: 10.2500/aap.2019.40.4254. PMID: 31690377
Huang K, Yang T, Xu J, Yang L, Zhao J, Zhang X, Bai C, Kang J, Ran P, Shen H, Wen F, Chen Y, Sun T, Shan G, Lin Y, Xu G, Wu S, Wang C, Wang R, Shi Z, Xu Y, Ye X, Song Y, Wang Q, Zhou Y, Li W, Ding L, Wan C, Yao W, Guo Y, Xiao F, Lu Y, Peng X, Zhang B, Xiao D, Wang Z, Chen Z, Bu X, Zhang H, Zhang X, An L, Zhang S, Zhu J, Cao Z, Zhan Q, Yang Y, Liang L, Tong X, Dai H, Cao B, Wu T, Chung KF, He J, Wang C; China Pulmonary Health (CPH) Study Group
Lancet 2019 Aug 3;394(10196):407-418. Epub 2019 Jun 20 doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(19)31147-X. PMID: 31230828

Recent clinical studies

Etiology

Jackson DJ, Gern JE
J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract 2022 Mar;10(3):673-681. Epub 2022 Jan 22 doi: 10.1016/j.jaip.2022.01.006. PMID: 35074599Free PMC Article
Bacharier LB, Guilbert TW, Jartti T, Saglani S
J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract 2021 Jul;9(7):2611-2618. Epub 2021 Mar 4 doi: 10.1016/j.jaip.2021.02.045. PMID: 33677078
Stokes JR, Bacharier LB
Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2020 Aug;125(2):156-162. Epub 2020 May 23 doi: 10.1016/j.anai.2020.05.018. PMID: 32454096
Jartti T, Gern JE
J Allergy Clin Immunol 2017 Oct;140(4):895-906. doi: 10.1016/j.jaci.2017.08.003. PMID: 28987219Free PMC Article
Cowan K, Guilbert TW
Curr Opin Pediatr 2012 Jun;24(3):344-51. doi: 10.1097/MOP.0b013e32835357ab. PMID: 22572759

Diagnosis

Doss AMA, Stokes JR
Immunol Allergy Clin North Am 2022 Nov;42(4):727-741. Epub 2022 Sep 24 doi: 10.1016/j.iac.2022.05.004. PMID: 36265972
Jackson DJ, Gern JE
J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract 2022 Mar;10(3):673-681. Epub 2022 Jan 22 doi: 10.1016/j.jaip.2022.01.006. PMID: 35074599Free PMC Article
Bacharier LB, Guilbert TW, Jartti T, Saglani S
J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract 2021 Jul;9(7):2611-2618. Epub 2021 Mar 4 doi: 10.1016/j.jaip.2021.02.045. PMID: 33677078
Tenero L, Tezza G, Cattazzo E, Piacentini G
Early Hum Dev 2013 Oct;89 Suppl 3:S13-7. Epub 2013 Aug 31 doi: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2013.07.017. PMID: 24001476Free PMC Article
Cowan K, Guilbert TW
Curr Opin Pediatr 2012 Jun;24(3):344-51. doi: 10.1097/MOP.0b013e32835357ab. PMID: 22572759

Therapy

Dargaville PA, Kamlin COF, Orsini F, Wang X, De Paoli AG, Kanmaz Kutman HG, Cetinkaya M, Kornhauser-Cerar L, Derrick M, Özkan H, Hulzebos CV, Schmölzer GM, Aiyappan A, Lemyre B, Kuo S, Rajadurai VS, O'Shea J, Biniwale M, Ramanathan R, Kushnir A, Bader D, Thomas MR, Chakraborty M, Buksh MJ, Bhatia R, Sullivan CL, Shinwell ES, Dyson A, Barker DP, Kugelman A, Donovan TJ, Goss KCW, Tauscher MK, Murthy V, Ali SKM, Clark HW, Soll RF, Johnson S, Cheong JLY, Carlin JB, Davis PG; OPTIMIST-A Trial Investigators
JAMA 2023 Sep 19;330(11):1054-1063. doi: 10.1001/jama.2023.15694. PMID: 37695601Free PMC Article
Craig SS, Dalziel SR, Powell CV, Graudins A, Babl FE, Lunny C
Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2020 Aug 5;8(8):CD012977. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD012977.pub2. PMID: 32767571Free PMC Article
Murphy KR, Hong JG, Wandalsen G, Larenas-Linnemann D, El Beleidy A, Zaytseva OV, Pedersen SE
J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract 2020 Jun;8(6):1815-1827. Epub 2020 Jan 30 doi: 10.1016/j.jaip.2020.01.042. PMID: 32006721
Le Souëf P
Eur Respir Rev 2018 Mar 31;27(147) Epub 2018 Apr 5 doi: 10.1183/16000617.0133-2017. PMID: 29622672Free PMC Article
Rikimaru T
Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther 2004 Apr;2(2):245-51. doi: 10.1586/14787210.2.2.245. PMID: 15482190

Prognosis

Liang Y, Zhang J, Bai S, Du S, Yang X, Wang Z
Respir Med 2023 Aug-Sep;215:107300. Epub 2023 May 29 doi: 10.1016/j.rmed.2023.107300. PMID: 37257787
Raffay TM, Martin RJ
Semin Fetal Neonatal Med 2020 Apr;25(2):101073. Epub 2019 Dec 9 doi: 10.1016/j.siny.2019.101073. PMID: 31862223Free PMC Article
Patadia MO, Murrill LL, Corey J
Otolaryngol Clin North Am 2014 Feb;47(1):23-32. Epub 2013 Oct 28 doi: 10.1016/j.otc.2013.10.001. PMID: 24286676
Lukkarinen M, Lukkarinen H, Lehtinen P, Vuorinen T, Ruuskanen O, Jartti T
Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2013 May;24(3):237-43. Epub 2013 Feb 3 doi: 10.1111/pai.12046. PMID: 23373881Free PMC Article
Braman SS
Clin Geriatr Med 2003 Feb;19(1):57-75. doi: 10.1016/s0749-0690(02)00052-6. PMID: 12735115

Clinical prediction guides

Doss AMA, Stokes JR
Immunol Allergy Clin North Am 2022 Nov;42(4):727-741. Epub 2022 Sep 24 doi: 10.1016/j.iac.2022.05.004. PMID: 36265972
Dai R, Miliku K, Gaddipati S, Choi J, Ambalavanan A, Tran MM, Reyna M, Sbihi H, Lou W, Parvulescu P, Lefebvre DL, Becker AB, Azad MB, Mandhane PJ, Turvey SE, Duan Q, Moraes TJ, Sears MR, Subbarao P
J Allergy Clin Immunol 2022 Jun;149(6):2153-2165. Epub 2021 Dec 30 doi: 10.1016/j.jaci.2021.10.039. PMID: 34974064
Biagini Myers JM, Schauberger E, He H, Martin LJ, Kroner J, Hill GM, Ryan PH, LeMasters GK, Bernstein DI, Lockey JE, Arshad SH, Kurukulaaratchy R, Khurana Hershey GK
J Allergy Clin Immunol 2019 May;143(5):1803-1810.e2. Epub 2018 Dec 13 doi: 10.1016/j.jaci.2018.09.037. PMID: 30554722Free PMC Article
de Benedictis FM, Attanasi M
Eur Respir Rev 2016 Mar;25(139):41-7. doi: 10.1183/16000617.0082-2015. PMID: 26929420Free PMC Article
Sears MR
J Allergy Clin Immunol 2015 Oct;136(4):829-36; quiz 837. doi: 10.1016/j.jaci.2015.04.048. PMID: 26449797

Recent systematic reviews

Alcazar CG, Paes VM, Shao Y, Oesser C, Miltz A, Lawley TD, Brocklehurst P, Rodger A, Field N
Lancet Microbe 2022 Nov;3(11):e867-e880. Epub 2022 Aug 18 doi: 10.1016/S2666-5247(22)00184-7. PMID: 35988549Free PMC Article
Duong QA, Pittet LF, Curtis N, Zimmermann P
J Infect 2022 Sep;85(3):213-300. Epub 2022 Jan 10 doi: 10.1016/j.jinf.2022.01.005. PMID: 35021114
Garegnani L, Styrmisdóttir L, Roson Rodriguez P, Escobar Liquitay CM, Esteban I, Franco JV
Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2021 Nov 16;11(11):CD013757. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD013757.pub2. PMID: 34783356Free PMC Article
Lane MM, Davis JA, Beattie S, Gómez-Donoso C, Loughman A, O'Neil A, Jacka F, Berk M, Page R, Marx W, Rocks T
Obes Rev 2021 Mar;22(3):e13146. Epub 2020 Nov 9 doi: 10.1111/obr.13146. PMID: 33167080
Chen X, Zhang Z, Yang H, Qiu P, Wang H, Wang F, Zhao Q, Fang J, Nie J
Nutr J 2020 Aug 20;19(1):86. doi: 10.1186/s12937-020-00604-1. PMID: 32819372Free PMC Article

Supplemental Content

Table of contents

    Clinical resources

    Practice guidelines

    • PubMed
      See practice and clinical guidelines in PubMed. The search results may include broader topics and may not capture all published guidelines. See the FAQ for details.
    • Bookshelf
      See practice and clinical guidelines in NCBI Bookshelf. The search results may include broader topics and may not capture all published guidelines. See the FAQ for details.

    Consumer resources

    Recent activity

    Your browsing activity is empty.

    Activity recording is turned off.

    Turn recording back on

    See more...