Epidemic Respiratory Disease: The pneumonias and other infections of the repiratory tract accompanying influenza and measlesOpie, Eugene L. (Eugene Lindsay)
History
Epidemic Respiratory Disease: The pneumonias and other infections of the repiratory tract accompanying influenza and measles
Lobular patches of pneumonia are often found in process of organization
(Autopsies 370, 421, 423, 433, 463, 472 and 473). Microscopic
examination shows that whole lobules well defined by thickened septa are
the site of chronic interalveolar inflammation and intraalveolar
organization of exudate, whereas adjacent lobules are air containing and
relatively normal. In the earlier stages of the process fibrin present
within the alveoli is invaded by fibroblasts, mononuclear wandering
cells and blood vessels but in the later stages fibrin has disappeared;
the lumina of the alveoli are occupied by cellular fibrous tissue and in
places the thickened alveolar walls and intraalveolar fibrous tissue
have been fused to form wide patches of new tissue.
With chronic bronchopneumonia confluent lobular consolidation
occasionally has a gray ground upon which are scattered small yellow
spots clustered about the small bronchi (Autopsies 421, 423 and 431).
Microscopic examination has shown that the yellowish spots correspond to
dilated bronchioles filled with purulent exudate and surrounded with
alveoli containing many polynuclear leucocytes. In the interstitial
tissue about the bronchiole and between adjacent alveoli plasma cells
are often present in great number. Between these spots of subacute
bronchiolar inflammation lung tissue is the site of interalveolar
proliferation of fibrous tissue and intraalveolar organization of
exudate.
In all instances of chronic bronchopneumonia there has been
peribronchial pneumonia in a zone encircling small bronchi with no
cartilage and the smallest of the bronchi which have cartilage in their
wall; thickening of interalveolar septa, organization of peribronchial
fibrinous pneumonia and partial disappearance of alveoli have been
described. In the following autopsy peribronchial fibroid pneumonia has
been so advanced that conspicuous patches of gray white tissue
surrounding bronchi have replaced in some parts of the lung a
considerable part of the lung substance.
=Autopsy 487.=—W. C., white, aged twenty-seven years, a farmer from
Mississippi had been in military service twenty-one days. Illness
began on September 17, fifty-five days before death, with chill,
fever, cough, backache, pain in the chest and coryza. The patient
was admitted two weeks after onset with the diagnosis of influenza.
Eight days later his sputum was blood tinged and there were signs of
bronchopneumonia. One month after admission the patient developed a
rash and a diagnosis of scarlet fever was made.
=Anatomic Diagnosis.=—Chronic bronchopneumonia with peribronchial
fibroid induration; bronchiectasis; purulent bronchitis; abscesses
at the bases of both lungs; seropurulent pleurisy on the left side.
The body is much emaciated. The left pleural cavity contains 650
c.c. of opaque, dull yellow, thin, purulent fluid. The surface of
the left lung is covered in spots by white partially organized
fibrin.
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