Chest CT findings in community-acquired pneumonia due to Coxiella burnetii (Q fever) compared to Streptococcus pneumoniae, a cross sectional study in French Guiana, 2013–2017

• Published in: Travel medicine and infectious disease 2024-01, Vol.57, p.102679-102679, Article 102679
• Main Authors: de La Porte des Vaux, Clémentine, Sainte-Rose, Vincent, Le Turnier, Paul, Djossou, Félix, Nacher, Mathieu, Zappa, Magaly, Epelboin, Loïc
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Coxiella burnetii; Effectiveness; Glass; Hospitals; Lesions; Men; Observational studies; Patients; Pneumonia; Serology; Streptococcus infections; Streptococcus pneumoniae
• ISSN: 1477-8939; 1873-0442
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tmaid.2023.102679

Few and small studies previously examined chest CT-scan characteristics of Coxiella burnetii (Cb) community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Larger studies are needed to guide physicians towards diagnosis of Q fever in case of pneumonia. We conducted a single-center retrospective observational study between 2013 and 2017. All patients with Cb or Streptococcus pneumoniae (Sp) CAP who had a chest CT-scan on admission at Cayenne Hospital (French Guiana) were included. Chest CT-scan were all analyzed by the same expert radiologist. We included 75 patients with Cb CAP and 36 with Sp CAP. Fifty-nine percent of all patients were men (n = 66) and median age was 52 [IQR = 38–62]. Chest CT-scans of Cb CAP patients revealed 67 alveolar condensations (89 %), 52 ground-glass opacities (69 %), 30 cases of lymphadenopathy(ies) (40 %) and 25 pleural effusions (33 %). Parenchyma lesions caused by Cb were predominantly unilateral (67 %). We found high numbers of alveolar condensations in both Cb and Sp CAP (89 % and 75 %; respectively), but the presence of ground-glass opacities was significantly associated with Cb CAP (69 % versus 30 %; p