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Tuberculosis: chest X ray with a focal opacity
Description
Chest radiograph of an HIV-infected patient, CD4 count of < 50 cells/ µ L, demonstrating a focal opacity in the right lung. In this case, the "key" to the diagnosis of tuberculosis was knowledge of the patient's CD4 cell count and recognition that this radiographic presentation can be seen in patients with tuberculosis when the CD4 cell count is low. This patient was ultimately diagnosed with rifampin-resistant tuberculosis by sputum mycobacterial culture.
Credits
Laurence Huang, MD, University of California San Francisco