What it means
Healthy lung is full of tiny air sacs, so it looks dark on X-ray and CT. In consolidation, the air in one area has been replaced, usually by fluid, pus, blood or cells. That area turns white and solid-looking, and the vessels inside it disappear from view. Dark branching lines running through it, called air bronchograms, are airways that still contain air.
When it matters
Pneumonia is the most common cause, especially with fever and cough. Bleeding, inflammation and, less often, a tumor can look similar. Even after pneumonia is treated, the X-ray can take weeks to clear. A repeat X-ray is often advised for smokers and older adults to confirm it has cleared. Consolidation that persists is looked at more closely, sometimes with CT or a camera test of the airways (bronchoscopy).
Questions to ask your doctor
- Does the consolidation look like pneumonia, or could it be something else?
- Is it in one lobe, or in several parts of my lungs?
- Do I need a repeat chest X-ray to check that it has cleared, and when?
