Imaging in pulmonary infections of immunocompetent adult patients
- PMID: 38595938
- PMCID: PMC11003523
- DOI: 10.1183/20734735.0186-2023
Imaging in pulmonary infections of immunocompetent adult patients
Abstract
Pneumonia is a clinical syndrome characterised by fever, cough and alveolar infiltration of purulent fluid, caused by infection with a microbial pathogen. It can be caused by infections with bacteria, viruses or fungi, but a causative organism is identified in less than half of cases. The most common type of pneumonia is community-acquired pneumonia, which is caused by infections acquired outside the hospital. Current guidelines for pneumonia diagnosis require imaging to confirm the clinical suspicion of pneumonia. Thus, imaging plays an important role in both the diagnosis and management of pneumonia, with each modality having specific advantages and limitations. Chest radiographs are commonly used but have limitations in terms of sensitivity and specificity. Lung ultrasound shows high sensitivity and specificity. Computed tomography scans offer higher diagnostic accuracy but involve higher radiation doses. Radiological patterns, including lobar, lobular and interstitial pneumonia, provide valuable insights into causative pathogens and treatment decisions. Understanding these radiological patterns is crucial for accurate diagnosis. In this review, we will summarise the most important aspects pertaining to the role of imaging in pneumonia and will highlight the imaging characteristics of the most common causative organisms.
Copyright ©ERS 2024.
Conflict of interest statement
Conflict of interest: S. Pochepnia has received honoraria from Boehringer Ingelheim outside the scope of this article. H. Prosch has received honoraria from AstraZeneca, BMS, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bracco, Daiichi Sankyo, Janssen, MSD, Novartis, Roche, Sanofi, Siemens Healthineers and Takeda outside the scope of this article. E.M. Grabczak, E. Johnson, F.O. Eyuboglu and O. Akkerman declare no potential conflicts of interest.
Figures





Similar articles
-
CT features of community-acquired pneumonia at the emergency department.Respir Med Res. 2022 May;81:100892. doi: 10.1016/j.resmer.2022.100892. Epub 2022 Apr 28. Respir Med Res. 2022. PMID: 35489109
-
Imaging pneumonia in immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals.Curr Opin Pulm Med. 2012 May;18(3):194-201. doi: 10.1097/MCP.0b013e328351f953. Curr Opin Pulm Med. 2012. PMID: 22388581 Review.
-
Infectious pneumonia in the immunocompetent host: What the radiologist should know.Indian J Radiol Imaging. 2017 Jan-Mar;27(1):23-32. doi: 10.4103/0971-3026.202967. Indian J Radiol Imaging. 2017. PMID: 28515580 Free PMC article.
-
Imaging of Community-acquired Pneumonia.J Thorac Imaging. 2018 Sep;33(5):282-294. doi: 10.1097/RTI.0000000000000347. J Thorac Imaging. 2018. PMID: 30036297 Review.
-
Radiological imaging in pneumonia: recent innovations.Curr Opin Pulm Med. 2007 May;13(3):159-69. doi: 10.1097/MCP.0b013e3280f3bff4. Curr Opin Pulm Med. 2007. PMID: 17414122 Review.
Cited by
-
Advances in Understanding Recurrent Pulmonary Infections Following Foreign Body Aspiration: A Narrative Review.J Asthma Allergy. 2025 Jul 15;18:1093-1103. doi: 10.2147/JAA.S524781. eCollection 2025. J Asthma Allergy. 2025. PMID: 40689224 Free PMC article. Review.
-
A Review on Risk Factors, Traditional Diagnostic Techniques, and Biomarkers for Pneumonia Prognostication and Management in Diabetic Patients.Diseases. 2024 Dec 2;12(12):310. doi: 10.3390/diseases12120310. Diseases. 2024. PMID: 39727640 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Targeted Restoration of T-Cell Subsets by a Fluorinated Piperazine Derivative β-Cyclodextrin Complex in Experimental Pulmonary Inflammation.Molecules. 2025 Jun 25;30(13):2741. doi: 10.3390/molecules30132741. Molecules. 2025. PMID: 40649259 Free PMC article.
References
-
- Choi MH, Kim D, Lee KH, et al. . Changes in the prevalence of pathogens causing hospital-acquired bacterial pneumonia and the impact of their antimicrobial resistance patterns on clinical outcomes: a propensity-score-matched study. Int J Antimicrob Agents 2023; 62: 106886. doi:10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2023.106886 - DOI - PubMed
Publication types
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources