The authors report a pulmonary histoplasmosis outbreak occurring in five children after the cleaning of a deactivated coal furnace. The symptoms were high fever, dry cough, asthenia and anorexia. By the time parents seeked for medical care, only one child remained symptomatic with fever, tachypnea and hepatomegaly. All the patients had similar radiological findings. Chest films showed diffuse, bilateral, reticulonodular infiltrates and lymph node enlargement. Computed tomography showed small nodules with a random distribution and hilar and mediastinal lymph nodes. Diagnosis was confirmed by positive gel immunodiffusion for Histoplasma capsulatum. Only one patient needed to be hospitalized to receive supportive treatment. The use of antifungal agents was not necessary in any of the patients. After 50 days all patients were submitted to computed tomography studies that revealed significant remission of the lesions.

Keywords: Radiology, Pulmonary histoplasmosis, Outbreak

Traumatic diaphragmatic rupture is an uncommon condition that has been diagnosed more frequently with the aid of computed tomography, particularly when using helical technique in association with multiplanar reconstructions. This technique allows adoption of an efficient and quick surgical therapeutic approach. The authors studied six patients with traumatic diaphragmatic rupture that were submitted to computed tomography. In four of the patients there was herniation of intraabdominal viscera through a site of rupture in the left diaphragm. The two other patients underwent surgery due to abdominal injuries, which revealed diaphragmatic lesions but no herniation of intraabdominal viscera.

Keywords: Diaphragmatic rupture, Computed tomography, Trauma

Objective: To describe high-resolution computed tomography findings in several diseases that run their course with the “crazy-paving” pattern. Materials and Methods: The present study has evaluated seven patients with diagnoses of alveolar proteinosis, bronchioloalveolar carcinoma, lipoid pneumonia and pneumocystosis, correlating tomographic and pathological findings. Results: In the cases of pneumocystosis, the alveolar spaces were filled with foamy material where parasitic organisms intermingled with surfactants, fibrin and cell debris were observed. In the cases of bronchioloalveolar carcinoma, the septa were thickened by associated fibrosis or lymphangitis, with the alveolar walls internally lined with tumor cells, and production of mucus. In the patient with alveolar proteinosis, the septa were thickened by edema, with alveolar filling determined by lipoprotein. In the patient with mineral oil aspiration, the histopathological findings included alveolar septa thickening caused by cell proliferation, with presence of fat vacuoles in alveolar septa. Conclusion: The crazy-paving pattern offers a wide range of differential diagnoses and must be evaluated in conjunction with clinical findings.

Keywords: Computed tomography; Crazy-paving pattern; Pathology; Lung diseases.