Radiographic patterns of pulmonary involvement in acute mycoplasmal infections.

The radiological appearances and the progress of the pulmonary manifestations of serologically-proven acute Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection were studied in 29 patients. The radiological changes seen at and after admission were not helpful in establishing an aetiological diagnosis except in three patients, in whom a "classical" pattern of mycoplasma pneumonia, based on the radiological appearnaces at different histopathological stages of the disease, could be recognised retrospectively. The patterns seen were varied and generally non-specific, and were not related to the age of the patient or to the duration of disease prior to admission. Specific anti-mycoplasma therapy may have prevented the progress of the disease after admission, although five of six patients in whom radiological deterioration occurred after admission were receiving such treatment.