[Clinicoradiological diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis that understood the life of a patient].

This review discusses the clinicoradiological diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis. To make a differential diagnosis between pneumonia and mycobacterial infections, it is very important to analyze the radiological findings of inflammatory lung diseases based on normal anatomical structures. If clinicoradiological analyses could make these differentiations, the appropriate treatment strategy for respiratory infections could be established. To accomplish this, exact orientations of pulmonary lobulus, acinus, and miliary nodule are very important. Then, through analyzing chest CT findings and distribution patterns based on normal anatomical structures, estimation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection could be possible. To differentiate infections caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis from other respiratory diseases, several important criteria have been demonstrated. In addition, activity of pulmonary tuberculosis as well as smear-positivity could be analyzed radiologically. The HRCT patterns described allow classification of disseminated tuberculosis according to the mechanism of spread (haematogenous and/or bronchogenic).