Thoracic Radiologic Manifestations of Melioidosis

Melioidosis (Burkholderia pseudomallei) is a gram-negative bacterial infection that is highly endemic in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Pulmonary disease is the most common form of involvement. The clinical-radiologic thoracic manifestations of melioidosis can be classified as acute, subacute, subclinical, and chronic forms. Radiographic findings include nodular, alveolar, or mixed infiltration/consolidation with or without cavities. Pleural effusion, pneumothorax, and pericardial involvement can be seen. Melioidosis can easily be confused with other infections, especially tuberculosis. Suspicion of this disease in the proper clinical radiologic setting is important for early diagnosis and treatment. In this article, we provide a broad clinical overview of melioidosis, review the radiologic thoracic manifestations of melioidosis with appropriate clinical correlation, as well as compare and contrast the imaging findings of thoracic melioidosis with other similar pulmonary infections.