title: [Spiral CT findings of pulmonary infection induced by intravenous injection of heroin].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate spiral CT findings of pulmonary infection induced by intravenous injection of heroin.
  
  
  METHODS
  The clinical data and spiral CT findings of 21 patients with pulmonary infection due to intravenous injection of heroin were analyzed retrospectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pulmonary lesions were detected in all these cases in the initial examination by spiral CT plain scan, including pneumatocele in 13 (61.9%), pulmonary cavity in 13 (61.9%), pulmonary consolidation in 15 (71.4%), and plural lesions in 8 cases (38.1%) of which 7 (33.3%) had plural effusion and 1 (0.48%) had encapsulated hydropneumothorax. Three cases had only one of the lesions and 18 had at least 2 of them. The CT images in each case were compared with X-ray film, and the latter displayed abnormalities in 20 cases (95.2%). X-ray failed to detect the lesions in 1 case (4.8%), in which pneumatocele was found in CT images.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The pulmonary lesions of pulmonary pneumatocele, cavity, consolidation, and plural lesions are specific CT manifestations of hematogenous pulmonary suppurative infection induced by intravenous injection of heroin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Xinhui People's Hospital of Guangdong Province, Jiangmen 529100, China. chenzhongimage@yahoo.com.cn
authors.forename: Zhong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xu-hui
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Lian
authors.forename: Wen-qin
authors.initials: WQ
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: Kang-yan
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.forename: Jing-yuan
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xiao-bing
authors.initials: XB
authors.lastname: Rong
authors.forename: Xiao-bo
authors.initials: XB
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003932:Heroin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006556:Heroin Dependence / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D036542:Tomography, Spiral Computed
chemical_list: D003932:Heroin