Lung Pathology or Pseudo-Lesion

March 1 2004 Terry R. Yochum, and Chad J. Maola, D.C.
Lung Pathology or Pseudo-Lesion
March 1 2004 Terry R. Yochum, and Chad J. Maola, D.C.

IN THE I'KE-ANIIBIOIIf ERA, THE ONLY TREATMENT FOR PULMO- nary tuberculosis was rest and or lung resection of the dis­eased segment. Secondary or re-infection tuberculosis most commonly occurs in the lung apices. This patient had surgery with resection of her right upper lung due to pulmonary tuber­culosis. To fill space left empty by the resected lung tissue and to avoid huge mediastinal shifting of the trachea, opposite lung and heart, this open space was tilled with a foreign substance. The substance was "lucite balls" and was packed in the open space. Its appearance on standard radiographs was quite strik­ing, leaving the impression of "ping pong" balls in the lung. This "plombage" procedure is no longer used today with the advent of antibiotic therapy for pulmonary tuberculosis; how­ever this may still be encountered on radiographs of the geriat­ric patient population. EZS Reference: Yochum TR. Roue LJ; Essentials of Skeletal Radiology. 2 ed. (Chapter 16 - Radiographic Artifacts), 1996. ^ Dr. Terry R. Yochum is a second-general ion chiro­practor and a cum laude graduate of the National College of Chiropractic, where he subsequently com­pleted his radiology specialty. He is currently Director of the Rocky Mountain Chiropractic Radiological Cen­ter, in Denver. CO. an Adjunct Professor of Radiology ut the Los Angeles College of Chiropractic, as well as an instructor of Skeletal Radiolog}' at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver, CO. Dr. Yochtun is, also, a consultant to Health Care Manufacturing Company that offers a Stored Energy system. For more information. Dr. Yochum can be reached at: 303-940-9400 or hy e-mail at daad099(<r(iol,com. ■^ Dr. Chad Maola is a 1999 Magna Cum Laude graduate of National College of Chiropractic. ▲ Special Note: There are no special treatment considerations to report for a patient who had a lung resection. Figure 1 X-ray of a patient following Plombage Procedure