The area affected is usually smaller than in the lobar type. The inflammation is localized in or around the bronchi, and causes the lung to be spotted with clusters of infected tissue. The symptoms appear gradually and are usually milder than in lobar pneumonia. The temperature rises more slowly and does not go as high, and there is no crisis as in lobar pneumonia. Bronchopneumonia is rarely fatal except in patients with heart disease or other complications.
Diagnosis is also more difficult because the causes are varied.
Staphylococcal pneumonia is a very serious form of the disease and is occasionally fatal. Primary Atypical Pneumonia. This type of pneumonia occurs chiefly in young adults who are otherwise healthy. It is often found in military camps and is due to various viruses or to Mycoplasma pneumoniae. In the past this type of pneumonia often went undetected.