Round Pneumonia

Aka: Round Pneumonia

advertisement

II. Epidemiology

  1. Peak age at 5 years old (uncommon after age 12 years)

III. Pathophysiology

  1. Streptococcus Pneumoniae (Pneumococcus) is most common cause
  2. Mass-like appearance with round shape and well demarcated borders
    1. Less interconnected lung lobules in children localizes Pneumonia into mass-like infection
    2. Contrast with adults with more interconnected lung lobules allowing for more diffuse Pneumonia spread

IV. Imaging: Chest XRay Findings

  1. Mass-like appearance with spherical or ball shape and well demarcated borders
  2. Distribution
    1. Most common in the upper segments of the lower lobe
    2. May also occur in the lower segment of the upper lobe
    3. May be more visible on lateral film in some cases

V. Differential Diagnosis

  1. Cavitary lesions (e.g. necrotizing Pneumonia, empyema, Lung Abscess)
    1. Findings include air fluid levels or radiolucent pockets
    2. Causes include Pneumococcus, Staphylococcus Aureus (including MRSA), Group A Streptococcus

VI. Resources

  1. Round Pneumonia (Radiopaedia)
    1. https://radiopaedia.org/articles/round-pneumonia-1?lang=us

VII. References

  1. Tubbs and Janicki (2025) Mastering Emergency Imaging, CCME, accessed 6/13/2026

Images: Related links to external sites (from Bing)

These images are a random sampling from a Bing search on the term "Round Pneumonia." Click on the image (or right click) to open the source website in a new browser window. Search Bing for all related images

Related Topics in Pediatrics

advertisement