title: Pulmonary radiographic findings in 118 leptospirosis patients.
abstract: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records and chest radiographs of 118 patients who presented during January 1998 to October 2002 at Songklanagarin Hospital in Hat Yai, Songkhla Province, Thailand who had a high serum immunofluorescent assay titer for leptospirosis. Twenty-nine of 118 (24%) patients had abnormal chest films. Nearly all of these patients had respiratory symptoms and needed oxygen therapy (93% and 90%, respectively). Forty-eight of the 118 (40%) had respiratory symptoms, but only 27/48 (56%) had abnormal radiographs. Twenty-one of the 28 (75%) and 18/27 (67%) who had abnormal chest radiographs had coexisting impaired renal function or jaundice, respectively, whereas 21/69 (30%) of the patients who had impaired renal function and 18/55 (33%) of the patients with jaundice had abnormal radiographs. There were 6/27 (22%) patients who had abnormal chest radiographs without renal or liver impairment. The most common finding on the abnormal chest radiograph was bilateral diffuse air space disease, which resolved within 7 days. No permanent lung damage was seen. The patients who had an abnormal chest radiograph needed longer hospitalization, than those without an abnormal chest radiograph (average 12 days and 5 days, respectively).
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Tailand. twiwadha@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Wiwatana
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tanomkiat
authors.forename: Pongpan
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Poonsawat
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007919:Leptospira / Q000472:pathogenicity; D007922:Leptospirosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008485:Medical Audit; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013785:Thailand