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Table 2 Characteristics of the pulmonary involvement (n = 102)

From: Severe varicella-zoster virus pneumonia: a multicenter cohort study

Variables

 

Pulmonary symptoms (n = 102)

 Temperature, °C

39.2 (38.7–39.9)

 Dyspnea

96 (94%)

 Cough

45 (44%)

 Hemoptysis

9 (9%)

 Chest pain

10 (10%)

 Acute respiratory failure at ICU admission

69 (68%)

Chest X-ray at ICU admission (n = 97, 95%)

 Normal

1 (1%)

 Unilateral alveolar opacities

7 (8%)

 Bilateral alveolar opacities

23 (24%)

 Unilateral interstitial pattern

1 (1%)

 Bilateral interstitial pattern

68 (75%)

Lung CT scan (n = 31, 30%)

 Normal

0 (0%)

 Ground glass opacities

11 (39%)

 Nodules

14 (50%)

 Consolidations

14 (50%)

 Interlobular septal thickening

2 (8%)

 Pleural effusion

8 (29%)

Fiberoptic bronchoscopy (n = 35, 35%)a

 Inflammatory mucosa

6 (43%)

 Vesicular lesions on bronchial mucosa

6 (43%)

 Normal

2 (14%)

Bronchoalveolar lavage (n = 29, 28%)

 Diffuse intra-alveolar hemorrhageb

5 (29%)

 Cell count/μL (n = 11, 38%)

300,000 (215,000–675,000)

 Macrophages, % of total cells

50 (22–65)

 Lymphocytes, % of total cells

7.5 (5–20)

 Neutrophils, % of total cells

31 (5–63)

 Eosinophils, % of total cells

0 (0–2)

 Siderophages, % of total cells

0 (0–5)

 Virus identified by PCR in the BAL (24 samples)

23 (96%)

  1. Values are shown as n (%) or median (25th–75th percentiles)
  2. aFiberoptic bronchoscopy macroscopic findings were not available for 21 patients
  3. bMacroscopic examination of the fluid was not reported in 12 cases
  4. BAL bronchoalveolar lavage, CT computed tomography, ICU intensive care unit, PCR polymerase chain reaction