Inflammation of the smallest air tubes in the lungs called bronchioles, usually caused by a viral infection and common in babies.
From bronchiole (diminutive of bronchus, from Greek bronchos meaning 'windpipe') plus -itis (Greek suffix meaning 'inflammation'). The term emerged in the 19th century as microscopy allowed doctors to identify and name smaller airway structures.
Bronchiolitis is the leading cause of hospitalization for infants under one year old, and it typically peaks during winter months—a pattern that still puzzles epidemiologists trying to understand why viral respiratory infections follow such predictable seasonal rhythms.
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