Case of novel influenza A (H1N1) pneumonia with shrinkage of a pulmonary lesion]

Fever developed in a 56-year-old man with sarcoidosis and bronchial asthma, and influenza was diagnosed. He was given zanamivir on the day of diagnosis, but he suffered a bronchial asthma attack 4 days after the diagnosis of influenza, and pneumonia developed 7 days subsequently. He was then admitted to our hospital. A rapid antigen test was positive for influenza type A, and reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction results were also positive for novel influenza A (H1N1). Chest computed tomography showed homogeneous ground-glass opacities in bilateral lung fields, and novel influenza A (H1N1) pneumonia was diagnosed. The patient was treated with oseltamivir and steroid therapy for the bronchial asthma attack; however, ground-glass opacities enlarged and became consolidated. The lower lobes of both lungs showed shrinkage and persistent volume loss. Improvement in the consolidation was accompanied by improvement in his respiratory condition. We report a case with an interesting radiological course.