What's the most likely diagnosis?

• 53 year-old with mild shortness of breath

1. Hiatal hernia
2. Pneumothorax
3. Pneumonia
4. Pulmonary infarct
5. Left lower lobe atelectasis

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Additional Image

Single axial CT scan of the chest on a different patient with same disease

Answer:

 

5. Left lower lobe atelectasis

 

 

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Left Lower Lobe Atelectasis

General Considerations

• All types of atelectasis involve loss of volume in some or all of a lung with resultant increased density of the involved lung
• The atelectasis referred to here is that caused by bronchial obstruction, usually a tumor (i.e. a bronchogenic carcinoma), a foreign body or a mucus plug

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