UMEM Educational Pearls

Title: What's the Diagnosis?

Posted: 7/14/2014 by Haney Mallemat, MD
Click here to contact Haney Mallemat, MD

Question

30 year-old presents with cough & fever. CXR shows mild right lower lobe pneumonia. The lung ultrasound of the right lower lobe is shown below. What's the diagnosis?

Answer

Answer: Pulmonary abscess

Patient initially denied IV drugs of abuse, but later disclosed use when this was found
Chest CT demonstrated several pulmonary abscesses and the patient was admitted for a workup of endocarditis

Bottom-line: Not only is ultrasound faster than a CXR in diagnosing pneumonia, unexpected diagnoses may be found that change management

References

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