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Q Fever Pneumonia: Appearance on Chest Radiographs

¹ Departments of Internal Medicine (A.G., D.K., N.T.)
² Clinical Bacteriology, Parasitology, and Geographical Medicine (A.G., D.K., Y.T.)
³ Pneumonology (D.B.)
⁴ Radiology (A.V.), University Hospital of Heraklion, 71100 Heraklion, Crete, Greece.

PURPOSE: To determine the radiographic features of Q fever pneumonia.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Chest radiographs in 85 patients admitted to the hospital during a 7-year period with Q fever pneumonia were retrospectively reviewed by two observers.

RESULTS: The most commonly recorded abnormalities were segmental (n = 53 [62%]) and lobar (n = 15 [18%]) areas of opacity. Segmental pneumonia was observed as a unilateral single area of opacity in 38 (72%) patients. It was more frequently located in the upper lobes. The left upper lobe was involved in 31% of patients; the right upper lobe, in 23%; and the right lower lobe, in 27%. Lobar pneumonia was less frequently observed as a single lesion in eight (53%) of 15 patients: It was located in the left upper lobe in 31% and in the right middle lobe in 27% of patients. There was no correlation between the extent of pulmonary involvement and the course of the disease; the outcome was favorable in all patients. Complete resolution of the radiographic findings occurred in a mean of 39 days.

CONCLUSION: The radiographic differentiation of Q fever pneumonia from the other community-acquired pneumonias is not possible. Clinical, serologic, and epidemiologic data provide the best basis for diagnosis.

Index terms: Lung, infection, 60.2029, 60.211, 60.213 • Q fever, 60.2029

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