Acute pneumococcal epiglottitis in immunocompromised adults.

3 cases of acute bacterial epiglottitis in immunocompromised adults are reported. All were due to Streptococcus pneumoniae, an unusual pathogen in this disease. Only 1 other case of acute bacterial epiglottitis also due to S. pneumoniae has been reported in an immunocompromised adult. The occurrence of this disease in 4 immunocompromised adults suggest that an Arthus reaction may not be important in the pathogenesis of acute epiglottitis due to S. pneumoniae.