Chronic Pneumonia at 10x Magnification

When inflammation of the lungs is persistent or recurs periodically after treatment, the condition is generally referred to as chronic pneumonia rather than simply pneumonia. Chronic pneumonia also tends to develop more slowly than other types of the illness, often over the course of several weeks. An array of microorganisms, including several types of bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and helminths, as well as other non-infectious causes may be responsible for an individual developing the disease. Many of the microorganisms that cause chronic pneumonia are only endemic to certain areas, a fact that often aids in narrowing down the identity of the causal agent. A variety of procedures are typically carried out, however, to aid in diagnosis, including sputum smears and cultures, skin testing, serologic testing, and, often as a final resort, invasive diagnostic methods, such as biopsy or translaryngeal aspiration.