[CT studies of the lung in opportunistic infections]

Immunosuppressive patients are at high risk of opportunistic infections whose main site of manifestation is the lung. The prognosis depends largely on starting therapy in time. Thorax CT supplies an important contribution especially in diagnosis and monitoring of pneumomycoses, which are particularly relevant among the problem infections on account of their frequently lethal course: compared with conventional thorax imaging, CT detects infiltrates much earlier; in addition, it presents a characteristic course of pulmonary changes enabling at least in part some conclusions regarding the pathoanatomical substrate. The article reports on the prerequisites for an infection justified indication for thoracic CT, on its execution and on the findings as for example in pneumomycoses.