Analysis of the chest radiograph in Legionnaires' disease

The serial chest radiographic findings of 10 patients with Legionnaires' disease seen in Liverpool during 1980 are described. A unilateral lobar pneumonia was the commonest initial finding. Every lobe was involved, with the lower lobes being the most common. Pleural effusion was present in 30% of the cases. A comparison is made with previously reported series both in the United States and in England. Though no single feature is pathognomonic, the radiographic pattern may aid in early diagnosis.