Pulmonary tuberculosis: another disease showing clusters of small nodules.
OBJECTIVE
Pulmonary sarcoidosis was recently reported to show the "sarcoid galaxy" sign, indicating large pulmonary nodules composed of coalescent small nodules. The purpose of this study was to review cases of pulmonary tuberculosis showing CT features indistinguishable from the sarcoid galaxy sign.


CONCLUSIONS
Large nodules arising from the coalescence of small nodules may be seen in active tuberculosis and in sarcoidosis. The CT finding was termed "clusters of small nodules" instead of the "sarcoid galaxy sign" in this article. A single cluster of small nodules, clusters of small nodules in the superior segment of the lower lobe, or clusters of small nodules not associated with lymphadenopathy or associated with tree-in-bud lesions would favor the diagnosis of active pulmonary tuberculosis rather than pulmonary sarcoidosis.
Heo
Jeong-Nam
JN
Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Hanyang University Hospital, 17 Haengdang-Dong, Sungdong-Gu, Seoul 133-792, South Korea.
Choi
Yo Won
YW
Jeon
Seok Chol
SC
Park
Choong Ki
CK
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D017565:Sarcoidosis, Pulmonary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*