Clinical history

35 y-o woman 1 month after a severe pneumonia. Persistent cough and dyspnea without fever.

Radiological findings

Frontal Chest X-ray. Opacity of the lower part of the right hemithorax obscurcing the right hemidiaphragm and limited laterally by a well-defined border (arrows). Downward position of the right hilum which appears smaller than the left. The right interlobar artery is no more visible and the right main bronchus is vertically orientated.
Lateral chest X-ray. Both right and left main bronchi are displaced downward (arrows). The left hemidiaphragm is not visible. Opacity projecting over the lower dorsal spine.

CT findings

CT axial sections. Displacement of the right lower lobe posteriorly and medially close to the costovertebral gutter. Similar displacement of the left lower lobe. Both lower lobes are limited by the displaced main fissures.
Coronal and right sagittal CT reformation showing atelectasis of both lower lobes with a characteristic displacement of the major fissures. Note the bilateral obscursion of both hemidiaphragms.
Axial and coronal CT reformation performed1 month earlier in the clinical setting of an acute pneumonia . Both lower lobes were consolidated and a small pleural effusion was visible on the left side.

Extra Examinations

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Final diagnosis

Atelectasis of right and left lower lobes due to an infectious bilateral pneumonia. Both lobes cleared out completely one month later.

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