Inflammation of the mucosal layer of the bronchioles after a viral infection leads to wheezing and asthma-like symptoms; this condition is termed:

• A. Croup
• B. Epiglottitis
• C. Meningitis
• D. Bronchiolitis

Answer: (D)

Bronchiolitis is inflammation of the bronchioles, the small airways in the lungs. After a viral infection, the lining of these tiny airways swells, mucus builds up, and the smooth muscle can tighten, narrowing the passages you breathe through. This obstruction appears most prominently during expiration, causing wheezing and asthma‑like symptoms. It commonly affects infants and young children, which is why this scenario fits bronchiolitis.

Croup involves the upper airway and presents with a barky cough and typically inspiratory stridor; epiglottitis causes rapid airway obstruction with drooling and severe throat pain; meningitis is a CNS infection with fever and neck stiffness. None of these primarily produce the wheezing pattern seen with bronchiolitis.