Pneumatocoeles associated with pneumonia: incidence and clinical course in Nigerian children.

One hundred and twenty cases of pneumatocoele, admitted, treated and followed-up at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital in 1981 are presented. Radiologically the pneumatocoele cases were associated with either the bronchopneumonic or lobar/segmental pattern of pneumonia. There were significant differences between these patterns in respect of the time of occurrence, size and number of pneumatocoeles and associated bacterial agents. The contribution of measles infection to the development of pneumatocoele is noted. Although the ultimate course of pneumatocoele was towards spontaneous resorption, the process was slow in most of our patients. This was attributed to the poor nutritional status of the majority of them.