Differentiation of Tuberculous Pneumonia and Community-acquired Pneumonia: Usefulness of Chest Radiography and Serum CA-125

Abstract

Purpose: To determine whether tuberculous pneumonia can be distinguished from community-acquired pneumonia on the basis of chest radiographic findings only and the diagnostic utility of differences in serum CA-125 levels. Materials and Methods: Forty-five patients with a high fever (>38 。C) in whom chest radiography revealed lobar consolidation were retrospectively studied. In 27 cases, the presence of acid-fast bacilli in sputum (n=21), the isolation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from bronchoscopic biopsy tissue and sputum cultures (n=16), and improvement in the findings of serial radiography and in clinical symptoms during antituberculous therapy (n=1) let to a diagnosis of tuberculous pneumonia. A diagnosis of community-acquired pneumonia (n=18) was based on improvement in the serial radiographic findings obtained during antibacterial therapy (n=16), and the isolation of bacteria from sputum and pleural fluid culture (n=2). On the basis of independently analysed findings, radiologist determined the presence or absence of nodular density, cavitary lesions and loss of lung volume, while two radiologists differentiated between tuberculous pneumonia and community-ac-quired pneumonia. Results: Initial chest radiographs of tuberculous pneumonia revealed nodular density in 89% of cases, cavitary lesions in 29%, and loss of lung volume nodular density was in 26%, while those of community-acquired pneumonia demonstrated nodular density in only 22%, cavitary lesions in 6%, and loss of lung volume in none was a significant statistical difference in nodular density, cavitary lesions and loss of lung voume (p