Deutsche medizinische Wochenschrift
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Dtsch. Med. Wochenschr. · Jul 2006
[Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia in immunocompromised patients without AIDS -- a case series].
Patients with pneumonia resistant to treatment are a common problem in chest hospitals. Pneumocystis jiroveci (Pc) should always be considered as an opportunistic pathogen in case of potential, especially T cell-related immunodeficiency, even if AIDS is not obvious. We report on cases of Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia (PcP) (n = 1921) without associated AIDS in a chest hospital. ⋯ PcP is an important disease in the differential diagnosis of pneumonia and at the same time constitutes a severe pulmonary complication in immunodeficient patients. If immunodeficiency is suspected, a CD4 cell-count as well as bronchoscopy with BAL should be performed to diagnose PcP. As expected, Pc-PCR was superior to Pc-IFT and should therefore be used on a routine basis for diagnosing PcP.