Case Report: Plastic bronchitis temporally associated with bordetella pertussis infection in a vaccinated child

This case report describes a 6-year-old boy with plastic bronchitis that developed during a lower respiratory tract infection. The patient presented with a 4-day history of cough and fever without the classic "whoop" of pertussis, despite being fully vaccinated against pertussis. Chest computed tomography revealed right middle lobe atelectasis with bilateral pulmonary inflammation. Flexible bronchoscopy identified obstructive mucopurulent airway casts characteristic of plastic bronchitis, which were removed. Bronchoalveolar lavage analysis detected Bordetella pertussis and Rhinovirus A as pathogens. Following bronchoscopic intervention and pathogen-directed therapy, symptoms completely resolved and lung re-expansion was confirmed on imaging. No recurrence was observed during 6 months of follow-up.