title: Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in a HIV-seronegative patient with untreated rheumatoid arthritis and CD4+ T-lymphocytopenia.
abstract: Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) usually occurs in immunocompromised patients, and it is a life-threatening infection. We report the case of a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-seronegative patient with untreated rheumatoid arthritis (RA), who developed fatal PCP related to uncommon CD4+ T-lymphocytopenia. Although extremely rare and of uncertain aetiology, suppression of cellular immunity and subsequent opportunistic infections should be suspected in such patients.
authors.affiliation: Critical Care Dept, Evangelismos General Hospital, Medical School, University of Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Prekates
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kyprianou
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Paniara
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Roussos
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D018023:HIV Seronegativity; D006801:Humans; D008231:Lymphopenia / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011020:Pneumonia, Pneumocystis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*