Question

Identify the condition represented in the below image.

• A. Miliary tuberculosis
• B. Bronchiectasis
• C. COPD
• D. Lung cancer

Hint:

Tiny uniform millet-seed nodules across both lungs equal miliary TB.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: The chest radiograph shows innumerable tiny nodules of about 1 to 5 mm spread evenly throughout both lung fields, resembling scattered millet seeds. This distinctive pattern is miliary tuberculosis.
Step 2: Miliary TB results from widespread haematogenous dissemination of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, so the seeding is diffuse and uniform across the lungs, and it may also involve liver and spleen.
Step 3: The term "miliary" itself comes from this millet-seed appearance, which is the single best diagnostic feature visible on the film.
Step 4: The distractors look different - bronchiectasis shows dilated, thickened, tram-track airways and cysts, COPD shows hyperinflation with flattened diaphragms and increased lucency, and lung cancer typically forms a discrete mass or nodule with possible collapse, not symmetric tiny diffuse nodules. Hence the answer is miliary tuberculosis.