The radiological appearances of 'Q' fever pneumonia.

The chest film findings in a series of 21 cases of serologically proven 'Q' fever with radiological evidence of pneumonia were reviewed retrospectively. Segmental opacities which were slow to clear, often with loss of volume and sometimes lobar consolidation, were the most usual findings. Lesions were occasionally multiple and sometimes became rounded during resolution. The appearances were not considered sufficiently distinctive to allow the diagnosis to be made in the acute phase of the illness, although the appearance of round pneumonias which are slow to resolve should alert the radiologist to this possible diagnosis. The findings are discussed in relation to previously reported series.

Experimental pneumonia in red deer (Cervus elaphus L) produced by an ovine chlamydia.

An isolate of Chlamydia psittaci from ovine pneumonia produced extensive pneumonia in red deer after endobronchial inoculation. Associated clinical signs lasting for several days included pyrexia, inappetance, increased pulse and respiration rate, and physical distress after handling, but no coughing or upper respiratory symptoms. Histologically, an acute exudative reaction was present after two days, and an early proliferative response after seven days. Both the clinical and pathological responses were more marked than those usually associated with chlamydial pneumonia in other large animals after endobronchial infection. A small survey for chlamydial antibody in wild red deer was negative.

The pathologic findings in rickettsial pneumonia.

A fatal case of Q fever pneumonia with demonstration of the organisms in the lungs is presented. The disease clinically simulates bacterial lobar pneumonia. Neutrophils were conspicuously absent in the inflammatory process. Histiocytes predominated in the alveolar septal spaces and produced both radiologically and pathologically an alevolar infiltrate. Histiocytic hyperplasia and focal necrosis were present. Histiocytes similar to those seen in the alveolar spaces of the lungs distorted the normal architecture of the lymph nodes. In scattered areas necrosis with histiocytes palisading in the periphery simulating the lesions of cat-scratch disease and tularemia were seen.

[Morphological manifestations of the intracellular toxic effect of microorganisms of the ornithosis-lymphogranuloma-trachoma group]. / Morfologicheskie proiavleniia vnutrikletochnogo toksicheskogo deistviia u vozbuditelei iz gruppy ornitoza-limfogranulemy-trakhomy

Interactions of the causative agents of meningopneumonia and ovine abortion with pulmonary macrophages in experimental infection in white mice were studied by histological, immunofluorescent and electron microscopic methods. The causative agent of meningopneumonia did not multiply in colonies and caused toxic lesions in the cells and formed cytoplasmic oxiphilic inclusion bodies. Being the product of cell degeneration, these oxiphilic inclusion bodies were conducive to long-term survival of the cell and slow release from them of elementary bodies of meningopneumonia agent. The agent of ovine abortion multiplied in colonies without toxic affection of the cells or formation of oxiphilic inclusion bodies. It is suggested that oxiphilic inclusion bodies represent morphological manifestation of the intracellular toxic effect of rickettsial and ornithosis-like agents possessing dissociated (non-colonial) mode of multiplication.