Pneumonia is one of the most common chest pathologies one can deal with in the clinical setting. It is commonly described as an acute infection in the lung parenchyma (Frank et al., 2013). It can also be of several types: bacterial, viral, lobal, or fungal pneumonia depending on the cause (Frank et al., 2013). It typically appears as an airspace opacity with air bronchograms (Jain & Bhardwaj, 2019). A chest CT shows a certain degree of airspace consolidation in the lungs and air in bronchioles.
The most common symptoms include mild or severe cough, fever, and shortness of breath. Bad overall immune status and smoking history make the patients increasingly susceptible to pneumonia. Pneumonia does not require invasive treatment or technique adjustment and is usually treated by antibiotics (Jain & Bhardwaj, 2019). The patients are expected to recover within one to three weeks. A CXR may be needed at six weeks post-treatment to ensure full resolution.
References
Frank, E. D., Long, B. W., & Smith, B. J. (2013). Merrill’s atlas of radiographic positioning and procedures [eBook edition]. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Jain, V., & Bhardwaj, A. (2019). Pneumonia Pathology. In StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing.