Töz Seray, Gündüz Cumhur, Tetik Aslı, Taşbakan Meltem, Pullukçu Hüsnü, Bacakoğlu Feza, Taşbakan Mehmet Sezai, Gülen Figen, Ünver Ayşegül, Turgay Nevin
Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey.
Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey.
Tuberk Toraks. 2017 Sep;65(3):220-226. doi: 10.5578/tt.58625.
Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP) causes serious infections, especially in patients with immunosuppressive diseases. In this study, it was aimed to evaluate the results of samples obtained from PCP suspected patients using two different methods together with clinical data.
Microscopy and real time polymerase chain reaction (real time PCR) methods were performed with bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples sended to Ege University Medical Faculty Direct Parasitology Diagnostic Laboratory between March 2009 and June 2010. Demographic characteristics, clinical and laboratory data were also recorded retrospectively. The data were evaluated using the SPSS 16.0 program.
A total of 42 BAL samples collected from patients (24 males, mean age: 31.49 ± 26.14) were included. There were totally 16 P. jirovecii positives either one of the tests. Sixteen and three samples were detected positive by real time PCR and microscopy, respectively. Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole was prescribed in 11 PCP diagnosed cases and 6 of them died.
Today, despite the growing opportunities in diagnosis and treatment, PCP pneumonia is associated with high mortality. Careful examination of clinical data and immune status of the patients are important. Multidisciplinary approach is required for early PCP diagnosis.
