title: Respiratory cryptosporidiosis: case series and review of the literature.
abstract: 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%.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Microbiologia, Hospital Clínico Universitario, Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Clavel
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Arnal
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Sánchez
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cuesta
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Letona
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Amiguet
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Castillo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Varea
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gómez-Lus
mesh_terms: 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