We encountered a clinical problem in a young man who presented with a
left upper lobe mass and a diffuse reticular-nodular infiltrate. We th
ought me had appropriately applied Murphy's Law (the famed bank robber
who ''went where the money is''), and Ockham's Razor (the philosopher
William of Ockham [1285 to 1349]-''Entities are not to be multiplied
beyond necessity'') as we rapidly diagnosed the lung mass with compute
d tomography, scintography, and fine-needle aspiration. However, when
his invaluable previous chest radiographs arrived, bronchoscopy with t
ransbronchial biopsy, bronchoalveolar lavage, brushings, and postbronc
hoscopy sputum revealed the more ominous diagnosis in this patient. Th
is case illustrates the complementary nature of current imaging and br
onchoscopy techniques; but, even more importantly, it demonstrates the
value of the history coupled with the previous radiograph. Even an un
usual case can provide lessons in cost containment.