How to distinguish lobar pneumonia from lobular pneumonia

Lobar pneumonia and lobular pneumonia are two common lung infections with some differences in clinical manifestations, imaging features, and pathogen distribution.

1. Etiology and pathogens: lobar pneumonia is mostly caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, while lobular pneumonia can be caused by a variety of bacteria, viruses or fungi. Both can also be affected by parasites or other microorganisms.

2. Clinical symptoms: lobar pneumonia usually has a sudden onset, and patients often have symptoms such as high fever, cough, and sputum production, accompanied by chest pain and dyspnea.In contrast, the symptoms of lobular pneumonia are relatively mild, mainly manifested as fever, cough, fatigue, etc.

3. Imaging features: lobar pneumonia has a wide range of lesions, generally unilateral distribution, and often involves one lobe; Lobular pneumonia, on the other hand, is relatively localized and often involves only multiple alveoli in a small area.

4. Treatment plan: Due to the severity of lobar pneumonia, anti-infective treatment is required in time, such as the use of penicillin antibiotics and other drugs. Treatment of lobular pneumonia varies depending on the etiology and can be treated with symptomatic supportive therapy or antimicrobial therapy for specific pathogens.

Although lobar pneumonia and lobular pneumonia are both pulmonary infectious diseases, their pathogenesis, clinical manifestations and diagnosis and treatment methods are different. In the process of diagnosis, the specific type should be determined based on the patient's clinical manifestations and the results of auxiliary examinations, and corresponding treatment measures should be given. At the same time, those suspected of being infected should seek medical attention in time and receive the guidance of professional doctors.