My pulmonologist at Penn’s Bronchiectasis Clinic made a couple of interesting comments about this type of CT findings.

I’d had 2 CT’s read by 2 local radiologist (not Penn) and 1 at Mayo last March, all showing ground glass, mucus plugging, trees-in-bud and atelectasis with clearing of some, but some new areas. Second CT showed mild bronchiectasis had developed. All 3 radiologists commented that findings were consistent with NTM/MAC. Last March, Mayo did bronch, got a good specimen and it showed no MAC or other pathogens. I have very little sputum from lungs.

I asked my Penn doc about the radiologists’ comments about MAC, ground glass, mucus plugs, etc. with my inability to produce mucus. He said radiologists like to add the comment about MAC because it’s specific and might be helpful. He said I probably can’t expectorate sputum because little is there. He thinks it’s possible I’ve had MAC and cleared it and said CT findings can be very persistent and sometimes remain.
The other theory is that it’s all related to my persistent sinusitis.

My f/u CT is next week. We’ll find out if my airway clearance efforts are working and if that recent weird culture was significant.