POSSIBILITIES OF RADIOLOGIC DIAGNOSTICS IN RESPIRATORY INFECTION

Abstract

The clinical symptoms of respiratory infection such as cough, mucus production, shortness of breath and fever can be covered by different lung diseases and these signs can mimic also other lung diseases – neoplastic process. A chest X-ray is a first chosen step in radiological imaging in patients suspected of a pulmonary infection. Only when symptoms persist or become worse or when the radiological imaging is unclear, a CT or HRCT of the chest will be taken in consideration. When ionizing radiologic CT method is contraindicated, can to be performed for pregnant women or patients with allergic reaction to intravenous iodine contrast material no ionizing cross sectional radiologic method – magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and take the same information like CT. The role of radiological imaging in pulmonary infection is to determine the presence, localization and extent of the infection, to detect predisposal factors, to detect complications and in the follow-up of the infection. The radiological signs of bacterial infection are often not very typical and they have also a limited value in predicting the causal organism. However there are some radiological signs, which are very suggestive in predicting the causal organism (tbc, viral or fungal infection) or in predicting the way of spread of the infection and complications.