Nonresolving pneumonia in an otherwise healthy patient

Chest radiographs in patients with community-acquired pneumonia usually show resolution of opacities within a matter of a few weeks following the initiation of treatment. For elderly patients, patients requiring hospitalization for treatment of pneumonia, and patients with hospital-acquired pneumonia, radiographic resolution of pneumonia may be prolonged. Chest radiographic findings suggesting pneumonia that persists beyond 3 months following presentation should raise concern for infection with resistant organisms, unusual pulmonary pathogens, neoplasms, or a host of noninfectious inflammatory lesions. For such patients, further evaluation with thoracic computed tomography scanning, as well as invasive diagnostic procedures, are often required.