Pneumocystis Jiroveci (Previously Known as Pneumocystis Carinii Pneumonia)
Basics
Description
Opportunistic lung infection caused by Pneumocystis jiroveci (PJ). This organism is currently considered a primitive fungus based on DNA sequence analysis. It has two developmental forms (the cysts contain sporozoites that become trophozoites when excised).
- Although previously known as Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP), the acronym PCP is still in use and refers to Pneumocystis pneumonia.
- PCP occurs almost exclusively in the immunocompromised host.
- PCP is an AIDS-defining illness. It is the most common opportunistic life-threatening lung infection in infants with perinatally acquired human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease.
- PJ causes a diffuse pneumonitis characterized by fever, dyspnea at rest, tachypnea, hypoxemia, nonproductive cough, and bilateral diffuse infiltrates in the roentgenogram. It is a severe condition frequently leading to respiratory failure, necessitating intubation and mechanical ventilation.
- Chemoprophylaxis against this microorganism has proven successful. Therefore, early identification of the HIV-infected mother becomes essential.
- Despite advances in therapy, the infection continues to be associated with significant morbidity and mortality.
Epidemiology
- Ubiquitous in mammals worldwide, particularly rodents
- Growth on respiratory tract surfaces
- Mode of transmission is unknown:
- Airborne person-to-person transmission is possible, but case contacts are rarely identified.
- Environmentally acquired
- Asymptomatic infection appears early in life; >70% of healthy individuals have antibodies by age 4 years.
- Primary infection is likely to be the mechanism in infants. Reactivation of latent disease with immunosuppression was proposed as an explanation for disease later in childhood; however, animal models of PCP do not support this proposition.
- PCP in the HIV patient can occur at any time but usually presents during the 1st year of life. The highest incidence is between 3 and 6 months of age.
Risk Factors
- Immunocompromised host
- Children with congenital or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and recipients of suppressive therapy in the treatment of malignancies or after organ transplantation are at high risk.
- In leukemic patients, the incidence of PCP has been directly related to the degree of immunodeficiency resulting from chemotherapy.
- Epidemics of PCP were reported in premature and malnourished infants and children in resource-limited countries and during times of famine.
Pathophysiology
- In the immunodeficient child, the pathologic changes occur predominantly in the alveoli. Cysts and trophozoites are seen adhering to the alveolar lining cells or in the cytoplasm of macrophages.
- As infection progresses, the alveolar spaces are filled with a pink, foamy exudate containing fibrin, abundant desquamative cells, and a large number of organisms. Alveolar septal thickening with mononuclear cell infiltration is also seen.
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Citation
Cabana, Michael D., editor. "Pneumocystis Jiroveci (Previously Known as Pneumocystis Carinii Pneumonia)." Select 5-Minute Pediatrics Topics, 7th ed., Wolters Kluwer Health, 2015. Medicine Central, im.unboundmedicine.com/medicine/view/Select-5-Minute-Pediatric-Consult/14034/all/Pneumocystis_Jiroveci__Previously_Known_as_Pneumocystis_Carinii_Pneumonia_.
Pneumocystis Jiroveci (Previously Known as Pneumocystis Carinii Pneumonia). In: Cabana MDM, ed. Select 5-Minute Pediatrics Topics. Wolters Kluwer Health; 2015. https://im.unboundmedicine.com/medicine/view/Select-5-Minute-Pediatric-Consult/14034/all/Pneumocystis_Jiroveci__Previously_Known_as_Pneumocystis_Carinii_Pneumonia_. Accessed May 29, 2023.
Pneumocystis Jiroveci (Previously Known as Pneumocystis Carinii Pneumonia). (2015). In Cabana, M. D. (Ed.), Select 5-Minute Pediatrics Topics (7th ed.). Wolters Kluwer Health. https://im.unboundmedicine.com/medicine/view/Select-5-Minute-Pediatric-Consult/14034/all/Pneumocystis_Jiroveci__Previously_Known_as_Pneumocystis_Carinii_Pneumonia_
Pneumocystis Jiroveci (Previously Known as Pneumocystis Carinii Pneumonia) [Internet]. In: Cabana MDM, editors. Select 5-Minute Pediatrics Topics. Wolters Kluwer Health; 2015. [cited 2023 May 29]. Available from: https://im.unboundmedicine.com/medicine/view/Select-5-Minute-Pediatric-Consult/14034/all/Pneumocystis_Jiroveci__Previously_Known_as_Pneumocystis_Carinii_Pneumonia_.
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