The differences between pneumonia and tuberculosis on chest CT are mainly in the following aspects, namely, the site of onset, the manifestation of lesions and the process of dynamic changes.
1. Site of onset: the site of onset of pneumonia is uncertain, and it can occur in any part of the lungs; while tuberculosis has a certain favorable site, and it is relatively easy to occur in the posterior segment of the upper lobe apical section and the dorsal segment of the lower lobe, but tuberculosis may also occur in other parts of the lungs.
2. The manifestation of lesions: most of the pneumonia manifests as patchy exudate shadow or large solid shadow with blurred edges; whereas the manifestation of tuberculosis is diversified, which may appear patchy shadow, streak shadow, nodular shadow, bud sign, hollow shadow, calcification, etc., and often have multiple forms of lesions at the same time.
3. Dynamic changes: patients with pneumonia may have faster progression or faster absorption in a short period of time during the review of CT; while the lesions of tuberculosis change relatively slowly during the review of chest CT.
Although there is a certain difference between pneumonia and tuberculosis on chest CT, it is sometimes difficult to distinguish between them, and it is necessary to refer to the patient’s specific clinical features, relevant laboratory tests, etc. It is recommended that the patient go to a specialist in the hospital in a timely manner if necessary.