The chest radiograph in whooping cough.
The chest radiographs of 238 patients admitted to hospital with acute whooping cough are reviewed. Radiographic abnormalities were detected in 63 (26%) patients; pulmonary consolidation was seen in 50 (21%) patients, collapse in nine (4%) and lymphadenopathy in 22 (9%). The most common type of consolidation was peribronchial (72%). Both collapse and consolidation were commoner on the right and tended to involve the lower and middle lobes. These abnormalities were more common in those aged 1 year old or more (p less than 0.001) but no other clinical feature was found to predict those patients with an abnormal chest radiograph. Follow-up radiographs demonstrated no significant radiographic sequelae. Comparison with previous series shows a reduced frequency and change in the pattern of radiological abnormalities over the last 20 years.
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D011859:Radiography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014917:Whooping Cough / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology