Pneumocystosis

Pneumocystosis
Other namesPneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia,[1] Pneumocystis pneumonia,[2] PCP, Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia[3]
Pneumocystis jirovecii cysts
SpecialtyInfectious diseases[1]
Symptoms
Complications
Types
CausesPneumocystis jirovecii[1]
Risk factorsPoor immunity, HIV/AIDS[4]
Diagnostic methodMedical imaging, bronchoalveolar lavage, immunofluorescence assay, biopsy[2]
PreventionTrimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (co-trimoxazole) in high risk groups[7]
MedicationTrimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (co-trimoxazole)[4]
FrequencyUncommon,[4] 97% in lungs[7]

Pneumocystosis is a fungal infection that most often presents as Pneumocystis pneumonia in people with HIV/AIDS or poor immunity.[1][7] It usually causes cough, difficulty breathing and fever, and can lead to respiratory failure.[4] Involvement outside the lungs is rare but, can occur as a disseminated type affecting lymph nodes, spleen, liver, bone marrow, eyes, kidneys, thyroid, gastrointestinal tract or other organs.[5][7] If occurring in the skin, it usually presents as nodular growths in the ear canals or underarms.[3]

It is caused by Pneumocystis jirovecii, a fungus which is usually breathed in and found in the lungs of healthy people without causing disease, until the person's immune system becomes weakened.[7]

Diagnosis is by identifying the organism from a sample of fluid from affected lungs or a biopsy.[3][4] Prevention in high risk people, and treatment in those affected is usually with trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (co-trimoxazole).[4][8]

The prevalence is unknown.[7] Less than 3% of cases do not involve the lungs.[7] The first cases of pneumocystosis affecting lungs were described in premature infants in Europe following the Second World War.[9]

  1. ^ a b c d "ICD-11 - ICD-11 for Mortality and Morbidity Statistics". icd.who.int. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  2. ^ a b Russell-Goldman, Eleanor; Milner, Dan A.; Solomon, Isaac (2020). "Pneumocystosis". In Milner, Danny A. (ed.). Diagnostic Pathology: Infectious Diseases. Elsevier. pp. 310–313. ISBN 978-0-323-61138-1.
  3. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference Dermnetz was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h "Orphanet: Pneumocystosis". www.orpha.net. Archived from the original on 24 July 2021. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  5. ^ a b c Ioachim, Harry L.; Medeiros, L. Jeffrey (2009). "28. Pneumocystosis lymphadenitis". Ioachim's Lymph Node Pathology (4th ed.). Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. pp. 156–157. ISBN 978-0-7817-7596-0.
  6. ^ a b c Calonje, J. Eduardo; Grayson, Wayne (2020). "18. Infectious diseases of the skin". In Calonje, J. Eduardo; Brenn, Thomas; Lazar, Alexander J.; Billings, Steven D. (eds.). McKee's Pathology of the Skin, 2 Volume Set (5th ed.). Elsevier. p. 964. ISBN 978-0-7020-6983-3.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i Cite error: The named reference CDC/DPDx was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference CDCFungal was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Carmona, Eva M.; Limper, Andrew H. (February 2011). "Update on the diagnosis and treatment of Pneumocystis pneumonia". Therapeutic Advances in Respiratory Disease. 5 (1): 41–59. doi:10.1177/1753465810380102. ISSN 1753-4666. PMC 6886706. PMID 20736243.
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