Radiographic imaging of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

We reviewed the radiographic imaging of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome to determine the findings of chest radiography, computed tomography, and gallium scintigraphy and to analyze the time course of the resolution of abnormalities on chest radiographs after the initiation of therapy. The patients were one woman and 43 men (mean age, 38 years). After initiation of therapy, the chest radiograph demonstrated deterioration in 36% of patients, rapid improvement in 51%, and no change for the first two weeks in 13%. In 80% of patients, chest radiographs showed improvement within three weeks. On average, the radiographic abnormalities resolved in 45 days. We conclude that chest radiographic abnormalities may appear to have worsened after the initiation of therapy, but most of the follow-up films eventually show improvement.