Radiation diagnosis of inflammatory changes of the chest in preterm infants with low birth weight
Objective: To specify the nature of radiological signs of inflammatory changes in the lungs of preterm infants with low birth weight. Materials and Methods: A detailed analysis of chest radiographs in the direct projection of 41 premature newborns with respiratory distress syndrome was done. The patients with pneumonia were performed dynamic investigation. Ultrasound examination of the cardiovascular system using Doppler echocardiography was obligatory. Results: Pneumonia was present in the majority of patients (boys - 79.2 %, girls - 88.2 %), it was frequently located in the upper lobes, predominantly in the right lung. In addition, the described peculiarities of development and dynamics of pneumonia were reported. The relationship with the diseases associated with pneumonia or the forerunners of its development was investigated. The nature, frequency, and radiographic signs of complications of acute pneumonia in this group of patients are reported. Conclusion: Radiography occupies a leading position in diagnosis of acute diseases of chest organs in children, including in preterm ones with low birth weight. The most typical form of lung injury in these patients is small-focus pneumonia with the changes preferentially located in the right lung and longer course.