In the pre-antibiotic era, the only treatment for pulmo-nary tuberculosis was rest and or lung resection of the diseased segment.  Secondary or re-infection tuberculosis most commonly occurs in the lung apices.  This patient had surgery with resection of her right upper lung due to pulmonary tuberculosis.  To fill space left empty by the resected lung tissue and to avoid huge mediastinal shifting of the trachea, opposite lung and heart, this open space was filled with a foreign substance.  The substance was “lucite balls” and was packed in the open space.  Its appearance on standard radiographs was quite striking, leaving the impression of “ping pong” balls in the lung.  This “plombage” procedure is no longer used today with the advent of antibiotic therapy for pulmonary tuberculosis; however this may still be encountered on radiographs of the geriatric patient population.

Dr. Terry R. Yochum is a second-generation chiropractor and a cum laude graduate of the National College of Chiropractic, where he subsequently completed his radiology specialty. He is currently Director of the Rocky Mountain Chiropractic Radiological Center, in Denver, CO, an Adjunct Professor of Radiology at the Los Angeles College of Chiropractic, as well as an instructor of Skeletal Radiology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver, CO.  Dr. Yochum is, also, a consultant to Health Care Manufacturing Company that offers a Stored Energy system.  For more information, Dr. Yochum can be reached  at: 303-940-9400 or by e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Dr. Chad Maola is a 1999  Magna Cum Laude graduate of  National College of Chiropractic.