title: Mycoplasma pneumoniae as the causative agent for pneumonia in the immunocompromised host.
abstract: A young man undergoing chemotherapy for Ewing's sarcoma presented with fever, neutropenia, anemia, thrombocytopenia, and a new infiltrate on the chest roentgenogram. Routine cultures and cytopathologic examination of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid provided no evidence for an etiology; however, special cultures of the BAL fluid demonstrated heavy growth of Mycoplasma pneumoniae. We recommend that evaluation of pneumonia in the immuno-compromised host include appropriate cultures of BAL fluid for M pneumoniae, particularly when the patient is 5 to 25 years old, the age of high incidence of mycoplasmal pneumonia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Perez
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Leigh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D011019:Pneumonia, Mycoplasma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000276:immunology; D011859:Radiography; D012512:Sarcoma, Ewing / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy