bronchiolitis

My 15 year old son has recently been diagnosed with "bronchiolitis".  He is a competitive basketball player and suddenly just over a year ago he began complaining of difficuly breathing, severe fatigue and a loss of stamina. He was initially diagnosed with pneumonia and then asthma. He was given(at various times) symbicort, advair, spiriva, atrivent and various nasal sprays. They did little to assist his condition. He had 2 chest xrays both of which were negative and then last spring he had a ct scan. Initially we were told it was negative but last month we were told it showed markings of bronchiolitis. He also tested positive for antibodies to mycoplasma.  He has been on azithromycin for the last 3 months 500mg daily. After the first 2 weeks on the antibiotics there was dramatic improvement but it now seems to have stabilized. Clearly he does not have the infant type of bronchiolitis. What is his prognosis

[National Jewish Health]

Bronchiolitis is often a disease of unknown cause.  The pathophysiology of bronchiolitis and bronchiolitis-interstitial lung disease (ILD) is poorly understood.  The diagnosis cannot be made with absolute certainty on the basis of CT scan.  You would be wise to consult with one of two international experts on this disease, who are engaged in long term research on ILD, with a special interest in bronchiolitis.  They are:
• Talmadge King, Jr, MD, Chief of Medicine at the University of California School of Medicine in San Francisco, California; and
• Kevin Brown, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine at National Jewish Health (formerly National Jewish Medical & Research Center) in Denver Colorado.

Good luck to you and your son.