Radiographic features of a case of severe acute respiratory syndrome with fatal outcome.

Introduction: Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a new form of atypical pneumonia caused by a coronavirus. We present the clinical course and chest radiographic findings of a case of SARS with fatal outcome. Clinical Picture: A 39-year-old Chinese male presented with fever, sore throat and non-productive cough. During his illness, serial chest radiographs showed increasingly severe air-space shadowing in both lungs. Treatment and Outcome: The patient was treated with supplemental oxygen, levofloxacin, oseltamivir, ribavirin and methylprednisolone. As his condition worsened, he required ventilatory and inotropic support. He later developed a myocardial infarct and coagulopathy, and succumbed to his illness. Conclusion: The reported case mortality of SARS is about 9% worldwide. In Singapore, the mortality is 15.5%. Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is believed to be a contributory factor to our patient's demise. We report this case to show the radiographic changes ofARDS in a patient with SARS.