Spectrum of Clinical and Radiographic Findings in Pediatric Mycoplasma Pneumonia

Abstract

Clinical symptoms in mycoplasma infection are nonspecific. Pulmonary involvement may be widespread or focal and segmental and is accompanied by signs including rales, rhonchi, and decreased breath sounds. Although manifestations of mycoplasma infection are usually confined to the respiratory tract, a wide variety of extrarespiratory manifestations can also occur, including more severe associated diseases such as myocarditis, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, and cerebral arteriovenous occlusion. The radiographic findings in mycoplasma pneumonia are also nonspecific and in some cases closely resemble those seen in children with viral infections of the lower respiratory tract. Focal reticulonodular opacification confined to a single lobe is a radiographic pattern that seems to be more closely associated with mycoplasma infection than with other types of pediatric respiratory illnesses, and the diagnosis of mycoplasma pneumonia should be considered whenever focal or bilateral reticulonodular opacification is seen. Hazy or ground-glass consolidations frequently occur, but dense homogeneous consolidations like those seen with bacterial pneumonias are uncommon. Atelectasis or transient pseudoconsolidations due to confluent interstitial shadows are often seen. Radiographic findings alone are not sufficient for the definitive diagnosis of mycoplasma pneumonia, but in combination with clinical findings they can significantly improve the accuracy of diagnosis in this disease.

Infection by Mycoplasma pneumoniae and its importance as an etiological agent in childhood community-acquired pneumonias

“…In this case, cough and fever are the most-frequent symptoms; they are inconstantly associated with wheezing, dyspnoea, and bilateral rattles. Chest X-rays show nonspecific bilateral infiltrates and bronchial thickness, and biological inflammation markers may be lacking [30]. In fact, radiological findings of pneumonia by M. pneumoniae are highly varied.…”

“…Lobar (generally unilateral) condensation, bronchopneumonic shadows, reticular and reticulonodular infiltrates can be observed [31]. John et al [30] prospectively assessed the radiological features of 42 children with M. pneumoniae pneumonia. They reported focal reticulonodular infiltrates in a single lobe in 52% of cases and they found that the lower lobes were more affected than the upper lobes.…”

Pulmonary Findings Of H1N1 Infection In Children With Malign Disease

“…They also emphasized that the imaging findings of their case suggest a differential diagnosis of atypical infections (viral infections, Mycoplasma, Chlamydia, or Legionella infections), septic emboli, ARDS, cryptogenic organizing pneumonia, eozinophylic pneumonitis and hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Moreover, they observed that the CT findings of the patient was different from hydrostatic or cardiogenic pulmonary odema, which usually shows a perihilar distribution of confluent GGO associated with pleural effusion (11,12).…”

Evaluation of complicated and uncomplicated parapneumonic effusion in children

“…PPE due to M. pneumoniae has been reported in 4-20% of patients with CAP. Although PPE is generally small, unilateral and does not require chest tube insertion, it can be massive and bilateral 1,[21][22][23][24][25] . In a retrospective observational study involving 121 hospitalized children and adolescent patients with CAP/ PPE, M. pneumoniae without co-infection was detected in 34 and M. pneumoniae/S.…”