| Bronchopneumonia | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Bronchial pneumonia, bronchogenic pneumonia |
 | |
| Typical distribution oflobar pneumonia (left in image) and bronchopneumonia (right in image) | |
| Specialty | Pulmonology,infectious disease |
Bronchopneumonia is a subtype ofpneumonia. It is the acuteinflammation of thebronchi, accompanied by inflamed patches in the nearby lobules of the lungs.[1]
It is often contrasted withlobar pneumonia; but, in clinical practice, the types are difficult to apply, as the patterns usually overlap.[2] Bronchopneumonia (lobular) often leads to lobar pneumonia as the infection progresses. The same organism may cause one type of pneumonia in one patient, and another in a different patient.
It is more commonly ahospital-acquired pneumonia than acommunity-acquired pneumonia, in contrast tolobar pneumonia.[4]
Bronchopneumonia is less likely thanlobar pneumonia to be associated withStreptococcus pneumoniae.[5] Rather, the bronchopneumonia pattern has been associated mainly with the following:Staphylococcus aureus,Klebsiella,E. coli andPseudomonas.[6]
Bronchopneumonia may sometimes be diagnosed after death, duringautopsy.
Ongross pathology there are typically multiplefoci of consolidation present in the basal lobes of thehuman lung, often bilateral. These lesions are 2–4 cm in diameter, grey-yellow, dry, often centered on abronchiole, poorly delimited, and with the tendency to confluence, especially in children.
Light microscopy typically shows neutrophils in bronchi, bronchioles and adjacent alveolar spaces.[2]
Common symptoms include cough (often with mucus), chest pain, fever, headache (lack of oxygen), wheezing, chills, shortness of breath and body aches.
Compared topneumonia in general, the association between the bronchopneumonia pattern andhospital-acquired pneumonia warrants greater consideration ofmultiple drug resistance in the choice of antibiotics.
