ATYPICAL PNEUMONIA IN IMMUNOCOMPROMISED PATIENTS HRCT EVALUATION.

Abstract

Atypical pneumonia is commonly found in immunocompromised patients, typical pathogens include chlamydia, mycoplasma, legionella, pneumocystis carini, viruses, fungi, and rickettsia. As serological diagnosis takes several days for confirmation radiology is expected to provide prompt evidence of atypical pneumonia.

This is a retrospective study, conducted during the period of 8 years from May 2004 to April 2011. HRCT was done in all the patients coming with suspicion of atypical pulmonary infection having complaints of fever, dry cough and weight loss. Most of the patients were known case of end stage renal disease, post renal transplant or having some neoplastic disorder. Diffuse ground glass haze with linear and reticular shadowing was found to be the predominant finding in patient with pneumocystis carini infection. Bronchial wall thickening and centrilobular nodules were frequently seen in mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia. Areas of segmental consolidation, reticular or linear opacity, patchy ground glass haze and bronchial wall thickening were associated with chlamydia pneumoniae pneumonia. Milliary nodules were the characteristic appearance in varicella zoster infection. Segmental consolidation and bilateral pleural effusion were seen in legionella infected patients.