Imaging Case of the Week 229 Answer

The frontal chest x-ray shows consolidation in the right middle zone with a cavity within the consolidated area; this is cavitating pneumonia.There is a small right sided pleural effusion.

cavitating-pneumonia

coronal-ct-chest

 

Organisms that can cause cavitating pneumonia are:

  • Tuberculosis
  • Fungal infection
  • Staphylococcus aureus
  • Klebsiella
  • Pneumococcus