High-attenuation mucous plugging in allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the prevalence of high-attenuation mucous plugs observed on chest computed tomography (CT) scans in patients with allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis.


METHODS
The CT scans of 14 patients with allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis, seen between July 1990 and July 1994 at a single tertiary-care institution, were reviewed. The presence and distribution of high-attenuation mucous plugs were recorded in each case.


RESULTS
High-attenuation mucous plugs were present in 4 (28%) of the 14 patients. Mucous plugging was unilobar in three of these four patients. Mucous plugging with attenuation similar to that of chest wall muscle was not found in any of the patients with high-attenuation plugging.


CONCLUSIONS
High-attenuation mucous plugs occur in approximately one quarter of patients with allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis and may be more common in patients with unilobar plugging.
Logan
P M
PM
Department of Radiology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS.
Müller
N L
NL
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001229:Aspergillosis, Allergic Bronchopulmonary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009093:Mucus; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed