Pneumocystis carinii infection of bone marrow in patients with malignant lymphoma and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Original report of three cases.

Pneumocystis carinii (PC) pneumonia was reported with increased frequency in patients presenting with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) or in patients receiving immunosuppressive chemotherapy for hemopathies. Extrapulmonary dissemination of PC is rare. In this study, three patients had PC infection of the bone marrow. Two of them presented with malignant lymphoma that had apparent immunosuppression, and the third patient presented with AIDS. In all three cases, such an infection was observed before or concomittantly with PC pneumonia. A bone marrow biopsy, bone marrow aspirate, or both can be useful, readily available tools for the diagnosis of a PC infection and especially its dissemination in patients with malignant lymphoma after intensive treatment or in patients with AIDS. The appreciation of such a dissemination may have some implications in the treatment of PC infection.