HRCT shows variations in appearance in disseminated tuberculosis in adults.
OBJECTIVE
To examine patterns of high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) of lungs of adults with disseminated tuberculosis (TB).


METHODS
Disseminated TB was defined as radiological involvement of all lung lobes.


RESULTS
The case series illustrated wide variation in HRCT of disseminated TB. Patterns identified on HRCT included (1) miliary TB (haematogenous dissemination), (2) miliary TB with exudative reaction, (3) bronchogenic spread, (4) miliary TB mixed with bronchogenic spread, and (5) bronchogenic spread with multiple cavity formation.


CONCLUSIONS
The HRCT patterns described allow classification of disseminated TB according to the mechanism of spread (haematogenous and/or bronchogenic) and the degree of local lung involvement (reaction or cavitation).
Fujita
J
J
Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Control and Prevention of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Ryukyus University, Okinawa, Japan. fujita@med.u-ryukyu.ac.jp
Bandoh
S
S
Kubo
A
A
Ishii
T
T
Kanaji
N
N
Nakamura
H
H
Higa
F
F
Tateyama
M
M
Ishida
T
T
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*