50413/82         ORGANISING PNEUMONIA AND EMPHYSEMA

The patient was a man aged 68. This terminal pneumonia was believed to be due to Legionnaire's disease.

The specimen shows grey and pink areas of pneumonic consolidation on the cut surface of the lung. This has gone to abscess formation in some places. The abscesses are irregular yellow necrotic areas. Severe emphysema is present, most marked at the apices. Emphysema is characterised by dilatation and destruction of air spaces distal to the terminal bronchiole. The pleura is shaggy and thickened. Some of this is recent fibrinous reaction and some is old and fibrous from past infective episodes.