Imaging Features of Pulmonary Infections.
4 affiliations
- 1Radiology, St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, GBR.
- 2Radiology, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, GBR.
- 3Nuffield Department of Medicine, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, GBR.
- 4Medical Affairs, Pfizer Ltd, Sandwich, GBR.
Abstract
Pulmonary infections are common in hospitals. Radiological imaging is crucial for rapid diagnosis, revealing infection patterns and distinguishing them from non-infectious conditions. This review highlights key radiological features that aid in diagnosing pulmonary infections and identifying causative organisms to guide therapy. Bacterial pneumonias may show lobar, bronchial, or interstitial patterns, characterised by lobar consolidation, bronchial wall thickening, and alveolar septal thickening, respectively. Viral infections typically present a multifocal ground-glass pattern. An airway-centric pattern, with "tree-in-bud" opacification and bronchial wall thickening, may also occur, often coexisting with bacterial infections, which can complicate diagnosis. Fungal infections, particularly dangerous for immunocompromised individuals, can be suggested by CT imaging features such as the halo, reverse halo, and air-crescent signs. Given the complexities and limitations of timely diagnosing pulmonary infections, accurately interpreting radiological findings is vital. Enhancing our ability to use imaging effectively enables healthcare professionals to make better prescribing decisions, aiming for more targeted therapies and improved patient outcomes.
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BibTeX
@article{campbell2026imaging,
title = {{Imaging Features of Pulmonary Infections.}},
author = {Alan Campbell and Sarim Ather and Christopher Conlon and Zeshan Riaz and Gillian Kiely and Aman Gupta and Fergus Gleeson},
journal = {Cureus},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.7759/cureus.116685},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42923546},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Imaging Features of Pulmonary Infections.
AU - Alan Campbell
AU - Sarim Ather
AU - Christopher Conlon
AU - Zeshan Riaz
AU - Gillian Kiely
AU - Aman Gupta
AU - Fergus Gleeson
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/21
JO - Cureus
DO - 10.7759/cureus.116685
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42923546
AB - Pulmonary infections are common in hospitals. Radiological imaging is crucial for rapid diagnosis, revealing infection patterns and distinguishing them from non-infectious conditions. This review highlights key radiological features that aid in diagnosing pulmonary infections and identifying causative organisms to guide therapy. Bacterial pneumonias may show lobar, bronchial, or interstitial patterns, characterised by lobar consolidation, bronchial wall thickening, and alveolar septal thickening, respectively. Viral infections typically present a multifocal ground-glass pattern. An airway-centric pattern, with "tree-in-bud" opacification and bronchial wall thickening, may also occur, often coexisting with bacterial infections, which can complicate diagnosis. Fungal infections, particularly dangerous for immunocompromised individuals, can be suggested by CT imaging features such as the halo, reverse halo, and air-crescent signs. Given the complexities and limitations of timely diagnosing pulmonary infections, accurately interpreting radiological findings is vital. Enhancing our ability to use imaging effectively enables healthcare professionals to make better prescribing decisions, aiming for more targeted therapies and improved patient outcomes.
SN - 2168-8184
ER -