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Received 23 February 2004; received in revised form 26 February 2004; accepted 1 March 2004
Abstract
Bacterial pneumonia is commonly encountered in clinical practice. Radiology plays a prominent role in the evaluation of pneumonia. Chest
radiography is the most commonly used imaging tool in pneumonias due to its availability and excellent cost benefit ratio. CT should be
used in unresolved cases or when complications of pneumonia are suspected. The main applications of radiology in pneumonia are oriented
to detection, characterisation and follow-up, especially regarding complications. The classical classification of pneumonias into lobar and
bronchial pneumonia has been abandoned for a more clinical classification. Thus, bacterial pneumonias are typified into three main groups:
Community acquired pneumonia (CAD), Aspiration pneumonia and Nosocomial pneumonia (NP).The usual pattern of CAD is that of the
previously called lobar pneumonia; an air-space consolidation limited to one lobe or segment. Nevertheless, the radiographic patterns of CAD
may be variable and are often related to the causative agent. Aspiration pneumonia generally involves the lower lobes with bilateral multicentric
opacities. Nosocomial Pneumonia (NP) occurs in hospitalised patients. The importance of NP is related to its high mortality and, thus, the need
to obtain a prompt diagnosis. The role of imaging in NP is limited but decisive. The most valuable information is when the chest radiographs are
negative and rule out pneumonia. The radiographic patterns of NP are very variable, most commonly showing diffuse multifocal involvement
and pleural effusion. Imaging plays also an important role in the detection and evaluation of complications of bacterial pneumonias. In many
of these cases, especially in hospitalised patients, chest CT must be obtained in order to better depict these associate findings.
© 2004 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
1. Introduction terns of this disease [2]. This is why most authors prefer
to classify pneumonias from the perspective of the mecha-
Bacterial pneumonias account for a large percentage of nism of origin. Thus, we will refer to three main groups of
all pneumonias. They have been classified into three main pneumonias: community acquired pneumonia (CAP), noso-
groups: lobar pneumonia, bronchopneumonia and acute in- comial pneumonia (NP) and aspiration pneumonia.
terstitial pneumonia [1]. Lobar pneumonias are characterised Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most common cause of
by confluent areas of focal airspace disease, usually limited CAP while Gram-negative bacteria and Staphylococcus au-
to one lobe or segment. Bronchopneumonia has a multi- reus are more often responsible for hospital acquired pneu-
focal distribution with nodules that tend to join producing monia [2]. Aspiration pneumonias are usually produced by
air-space consolidations affecting one or more lobes. Acute micro-organisms that colonize the oropharynx which include
interstitial pneumonias are produced by involvement of the Gram-positive cocci, Gram-negative rods, and rarely, anaer-
bronchial and bronchiolar wall, and of the pulmonary inter- obic bacteria.
stitium, and are most commonly caused by viral organisms This article will review the most common and some un-
and Mycoplasma pneumoniae. usual radiographic presentations of bacterial pneumonia in
This classic morphologic classification is of limited use- inmunocompetent patients.
fulness because the radiographic pattern often cannot be
used to predict the causative organism. The appearance of
new infective organisms, the increasing age of the popula- 2. Imaging pneumonia
tion and the wide use of antibiotics have changed the pat-
In patients with suspected pneumonia, imaging plays a
∗Corresponding author. major role in the detection, characterisation and follow-up
E-mail address: vilar jlu@gva.es (J. Vilar). of the disease.
0720-048X/$ – see front matter © 2004 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.ejrad.2004.03.010
J. Vilar et al. / European Journal of Radiology 51 (2004) 102–113 103
2.1. Detection often regarded as the reference standard for the diagnosis
of community-acquired pneumonia, its reliability is lim-
The basic and most diffused imaging tool to diagnose ited by significant interobserver variability in radiographic
pneumonia remains the chest radiograph. Indeed pulmonary interpretation [3].
infections are the most common reason for obtaining an Other techniques like computed tomography (CT) can be
emergency chest film. Pneumonia may present with a useful, showing some infiltrates not visualised in the chest
wide spectrum of symptoms and often the initial clinical radiographs (Fig. 1) and can assure the existence of cavita-
manifestations are clear. Although the chest radiograph is tion or other complications, [4] but the use of CT is only
Fig. 1. Additional value of CT: CAP (a) chest radiograph: there is a paratracheal opacity in the right upper lobe. (b) CT of the same patient shows
clearly the opacity due an air-space consolidation.
104 J. Vilar et al. / European Journal of Radiology 51 (2004) 102–113
2.2. Characterisation
2.3. Follow-up
Fig. 3. PA chest radiograph shows an alveolar consolidation involving the right and left lower lobes in a patient infected by Streptococcus pneumoniae.
Fig. 4. Mycoplasma pneumonia: chest radiograph. There is a diffuse peripheral and bilateral interstitial involvement.
106 J. Vilar et al. / European Journal of Radiology 51 (2004) 102–113
Fig. 5. (a) Legionella pneumonia: chest radiograph of a patient with fever, dyspnea and myalgias. There is a smooth bilateral perihilar consolidation. (b)
Chest radiograph obtained 48 h later, notice the rapid extension of the consolidation. (c) and (d) On CT, the consolidations are multiple and bilateral.
J. Vilar et al. / European Journal of Radiology 51 (2004) 102–113 107
Fig. 5. (Continued ).
108 J. Vilar et al. / European Journal of Radiology 51 (2004) 102–113
Fig. 7. (a) Chest radiograph of a patient with bullous emphysema. (b) The same patient with pneumonia in the left upper lobe. An air–fluid level (arrows)
within the bullae mimics cavitation. (c) CT of this area showing the fluid filled bulla.
Fig. 9. Ventilator assisted pneumonia: chest radiograph of a patient obtained after 5 days of mechanical ventilation. There is a right perihilar consolidation.
Acinetobacter was obtained from bronchoaspirate cultures.
dissemination of germs and the cough mechanism is re- than that of NP in non-ventilated patients, and they also
duced. This has been denominated as ventilator associated differ in their treatment. Micro-organisms responsible for
pneumonia (VAP). Nevertheless, NP in the Intensive Care VAP vary according to the duration of mechanical venti-
Units may also occur in non-ventilated patients. Thus NP lation: VAP occurring in the first 5 days of ventilation is
has been classified in two groups: ventilator associated usually due to S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae or Moxarella
pneumonia and pneumonia in non-ventilated patients [24]. catarrhalis and uncommonly by anaerobes, while VAP oc-
The incidence and mortality of the former is much higher curring after 5 days (Fig. 9) of ventilation is most commonly
Fig. 10. Nosocomial pneumonia: chest radiograph shows patchy and peripheral areas of consolidation in a hospitalised non-ventilated patient under a
long-term treatment with steroids. The responsible organism was Pseudomona aeruginosa.
J. Vilar et al. / European Journal of Radiology 51 (2004) 102–113 111
produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acitenobacter or readers in this pathology is very low, and other factors such
Enterobacter spp., or methicillin-resistant S. aureus [25]. as the technique used to obtain the chest radiograph and the
The radiographic pattern of NP may be quite variable ventilator settings may influence the results [30].
These pneumonias are most commonly bilateral with diffuse In summary, the role of radiology in NP is limited but
or multiple foci of consolidation not limited to one lobe [7]. decisive. Delay in treating pneumonia may be fatal and
They may frequently associate pleural effusion (Fig. 10). treating with antibiotics other entities (pulmonary infarction,
The role of portable chest films in cases of suspected NP oedema) may also have negative results. In hospitalized pa-
is limited, since the presence of focal alveolar consolida- tients, the chest radiographs are most helpful when they are
tions is quite frequent in these patients, and often caused normal and rule out pneumonia [7]. CT may be of great help
by atelectasis, pulmonary infarction, oedema or acute res- in some cases when the chest films are inconclusive espe-
piratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The radiographic signs cially in patients with ARDS.
of NP are non-specific. A study by Wunderink et al. found
that the only reliable sign of pneumonia was the pres-
ence of air bronchograms, except in patients with ARDS 6. Complications
[26]. Atelectasis may solve rapidly, especially after vigor-
ous physiotherapy. In patients with ARDS, the diagnosis All pneumonias, CAP and nosocomial may complicate.
of pneumonia becomes very difficult [27,28]. Generally, Complications are more common in inmunodepressed pa-
ARDS is bilateral, symmetric and more evident in depen- tients and in nosocomial pneumonias.
dent areas [29].The presence of focal areas of consolidation
favours the diagnosis of pneumonia but asymmetry may also
occur in ARDS [29]. Additionally, the agreement between
Fig. 12. (a) Chest radiograph of a 12 months old child, with a consolidation
Fig. 11. Hospital acquired pneumonia: pulmonary gangrene produced by in left lower lobe. (b) Chest radiograph obtained 4 weeks later. A cystic
Klebsiella pneumoniae in a hospitalised patient. Notice sloughed lung space has developed in the area of previous pneumonia, corresponding to
tissue due to extensive necrosis in a large cavity with an air–fluid level. a pneumatocele (arrows).
112 J. Vilar et al. / European Journal of Radiology 51 (2004) 102–113
Cavitation suggests bacterial disease rather than viral or Pneumatocele [1] is an air cystic space that may develop as
Mycoplasma infection. S. aureus, Gram-negative, anaerobic a complication of acute staphylococcal infection in children
bacteria are the most common agents. (Fig. 12).
Pulmonary gangrene is a rare but interesting form of Care needs to be taken to avoid misdiagnosing cavitation
cavitation that produces sloughed lung within a large cav- and pneumatocele formation when the focal lucencies within
ity secondary to thrombosis of the pulmonary vessels the consolidation are due to underlying emphysema (Fig. 7).
[17]. S. pneumoniae and Klebsiella are the most com-
mon agents responsible for cavitation in inmunocompetent 6.1. Pleural effusion and empyema
patients and Aspergillus in the inmunocompromised host
(Fig. 11). Parapneumonic effusions complicate the course of
20–60% of patients hospitalised with bacterial pneumo-
nia. Pleural effusion in CAP is less frequent and usually
reactive. Most of these effusions follow an uncomplicated
course and resolve with antibiotic therapy of the underlying
pneumonia. In 5–10% cases, they become complicated and
progress to empyema [31].
7. Conclusions
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