Pneumonia CT
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Pneumonia CT On the Web |
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American Roentgen Ray Society Images of Pneumonia CT |
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Alejandro Lemor, M.D. [2]
Overview
A chest CT scan is not routinely done in patients with pneumonia, but is a diagnostic test that may be useful when a chest X-ray is not conclusive. CT findings may include lobar consolidation, ground-glass oppacities, pleural effusion, lymphadenopathy, and tree-in-bud appereance.
CT
- A chest CT could be useful when a chest X-ray has inconclusive signs of pneumonia but the clinical manifestation suggest pneumonia.
- CT findings in pneumonia include:[1]
- Airspace consolidation
- Ground-glass oppacities
- Pleural effusion
- Hiliar and/or mediastinal lymphadenopathy
- Bronchiectasis
- Tree-in-bud appereance
- A chest CT can also help to assess reasons for therapy failure and complications, such as lung abscess and pleural effusions.
 Image courtesy of RMH Key Conditions, Radiopedia. (original file here). Creative Commons BY-SA-NC |
 Image courtesy of RMH Key Conditions, Radiopedia. (original file here). Creative Commons BY-SA-NC |
Comparison Between CT Findings in Viral and Bacterial Pneumonia
| CT Finding | Bacterial | Viral |
|---|---|---|
| No findings | 9% | 33% |
| Focal Consolidation | 9% | 6% |
| Pleural Effusion | 41% | 22% |
| Ground-glass Opacity | 45% | 22% |
| Tree-in-bud Appereance | 14% | 31% |
| Bronchial Wall Thickening | 27% | 31% |
| Multifocal Consolidation | 36% | 27% |
| Adapted from American Journal of Roentgenology. 2011;197: 1088-1095[2] | ||
References
- ↑ Ichikado, Kazuya (2014). "High-Resolution Computed Tomography Findings of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Acute Interstitial Pneumonia, and Acute Exacerbation of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis". Seminars in Ultrasound, CT and MRI. 35 (1): 39–46. doi:10.1053/j.sult.2013.10.007. ISSN 0887-2171.
- ↑ Miller, Wallace T.; Mickus, Timothy J.; Barbosa, Eduardo; Mullin, Christopher; Van Deerlin, Vivanna M.; Shiley, Kevin T. (2011). "CT of Viral Lower Respiratory Tract Infections in Adults: Comparison Among Viral Organisms and Between Viral and Bacterial Infections". American Journal of Roentgenology. 197 (5): 1088–1095. doi:10.2214/AJR.11.6501. ISSN 0361-803X.