What Do My Lab Test Reports Indicate?

Posted on Wed, 16 Mar 2016

Question: I had pneumonia in Sept I had three X-rays showed improvement but radiologist ordered a CT scan in Dec showed scarring and lung infiltration. I have mitral regurgitate and had it repaired 2001, i take Multaq for atrial fib since 2009 otherwise in excellent health.. repeated CT scan and it showed stable but still infiltration in right lobe, so how is this treated and will it ever go away?

Answered by Dr. Drkaushal85 (31 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Get done bronchoscopic evaluation.

Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your question on Health Care Magic.
I can understand your concern.

In my opinion, you are mostly having healed lesions.
Pneumonia after treatment heals by either fibrosis, calcification or rarely complete resolution.
So residual fibrosis is common after pneumonia.

You are having stable lesions on 2 CT scans. So possibility of old healed, no active lesions is more.
But better to rule out infection. So consult pulmonologist and get done bronchoscopic evaluation.
If it is negative then no need to worry for these CT lesions and hence no treatment is required for them.

These lesions will mostly stay there life long.
But if Bronchoscopy shows infection then you may need antibiotic therapy according to the findings.

So consult pulmonologist and discuss all these.
Please let me know
1. Do you have fever?
2. Do you have cough, expectoration?

Please reply me answers of above asked questions, so that I can guide you better.

I will be happy to help you further.
Wish you good health.
Thanks.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Arnab Banerjee

Follow up: Dr. Drkaushal85 (8 hours later)

I do not have any fever only when I had the original infection in Sept. And I am not coughing , there was a wheeze present only when lying down on the right lung where the radiologist said in Dec I had infiltration, the wheeze has subsided only occasionally this past month when lying down it was heard.

Answered by Dr. Drkaushal85 (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
Perhaps post infectious bronchitis.

Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your follow up question on Health Care Magic.

Since you have no fever and cough, new infection is unlikely and the lesions found on CT scan are stable ones. Therefore you need not plan bronchoscopy. However as you have symptoms of wheeze, in my opinion, you are mostly having post infectious bronchitis. It is common after pneumonia.
Wheezing is classical feature of bronchitis.

And PFT (Pulmonary Function Test) is must for the diagnosis of bronchitis. It will also tell you about severity of the disease and treatment of bronchitis is based on severity only. You may need inhaled treatment on the basis of PFT report.
Please let me know
1. Do you have breathlessness on exertion?
2. Have you ever undergone PFT?

Please reply me answers of above asked questions, so that I can guide you better. I will be happy to help you further. Wish you good health. Thanks.

Note: For further follow up on related General & Family Physician Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad