Respiratory cryptosporidiosis: case series and review of the literature.
Five case of intestinal cryptosporidiosis with pulmonary involvement in patients with AIDS are reported. The diagnosis was based on the recognition of acid-fast oocysts in sputum or aspirated bronchial material and stool specimens. Coughing and excess secretions were present in all cases. Four patients had other associated pulmonary pathogens: two Mycobacterium tuberculosis, one Mycobacterium fortuitum and one Cytomegalovirus + Pneumocystis carinii; all of them had a previous (three cases) or simultaneous (one case) diagnosis of intestinal cryptosporidiosis, presenting with diarrhoea and vomiting. In the fifth patient Cryptosporidium was the only pulmonary pathogen found in a bronchial aspirate, and the onset of diarrhoea was 1 month after respiratory detection. Fifty-seven cases of respiratory cryptosporidiosis have been reported since 1980. In 17 of them, no other pathogen was found. Diarrhoea was present in 77% of the patients, cough in 77%, dyspnea in 58%, expectoration in 54%, fever in 45%, thoracic pain in 33%.
Clavel
A
A
Servicio de Microbiologia, Hospital Clínico Universitario, Zaragoza, Spain.
Arnal
A C
AC
Sánchez
E C
EC
Cuesta
J
J
Letona
S
S
Amiguet
J A
JA
Castillo
F J
FJ
Varea
M
M
Gómez-Lus
R
R
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000469:parasitology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D001980:Bronchi / Q000469:parasitology; D002648:Child; D003457:Cryptosporidiosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003458:Cryptosporidium / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000150:complications; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000150:complications / Q000469:parasitology; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000469:parasitology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009165:Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / Q000150:complications; D010994:Pleura / Q000469:parasitology; D016720:Pneumocystis Infections / Q000150:complications; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000469:parasitology*; D013183:Sputum / Q000469:parasitology; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000150:complications; D014839:Vomiting / Q000150:complications / Q000469:parasitology