August 2012 Imaging Case of the Month

Michael B. Gotway, MD

Associate Editor, Imaging

Department of Radiology

Mayo Clinic Arizona

Scottsdale, Arizona 

Clinical History: A 48-year-old non-smoking man presented with a history of slowly progressive shortness of breath and recent onset of a headache. Frontal chest radiography (Figure 1) was performed. 

Figure 1: Frontal chest radiography shows normal cardiomediastinal contours with bilateral peri- and infrahilar predominant ground-glass opacity with a background of linear and reticular abnormalities.

Which of the differential diagnostic considerations listed below is the most likely consideration for the chest radiographic abnormality?

1. Pneumococcal pneumonia
2. Lung carcinoma
3. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
4. Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis
5. Miliary tuberculosis

Reference as: Gotway MB. August 2012 imaging case of the month. Southwest J Pulm Crit Care 2012;5:74-81. (Click here for a PDF version of the case of the month)