Chest radiographic manifestations of severe acute respiratory syndrome in health care workers: the Toronto experience.

Bitar, Richard; Weiser, William J; Avendaño, Monica; Derkach, Peter; Low, Donald E; Muradali, Derek

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this article is to describe the chest radiographic manifestations of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in previously uninfected health care workers during the early stages of an outbreak in Toronto, Canada. CONCLUSION The study group was composed of 13 patients from a single institution. Three distinct chest radiographic patterns were observed: focal peripheral air-space disease at presentation with gradual resolution (most common pattern, 10/13 patients), normal findings on chest radiography at presentation followed by focal air-space disease (2/13 patients), and normal findings on chest radiography at presentation followed by a "round" pneumonia pattern (1/13 patients). There was no evidence of pleural reaction, lymphadenopathy, or interstitial changes.