[Coinfection with chlamydia and mycoplasma. Incidence in our environment].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the presence Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Chlamydia pneumoniae and to determine their importance as the cause of community-acquired pneumonia in childhood.


METHODS
We performed a retrospective descriptive study of all the patients aged less than 15 years old diagnosed with community-acquired pneumonia due to M. pneumoniae in the pediatric emergency department of our hospital between May 1998 and May 2000. Patients in whom C. pneumoniae was also identified as a cause of pneumonia were investigated.


RESULTS
Of 242 cases of community-acquired pneumonia, 82 were due to M. pneumoniae (34.7 %) and 32 were due to C. pneumoniae (13.22 %) Of these, eight cases were coinfections with C. pneumoniae and M. pneumoniae. Most infections occurred in boys (5/8). The mean age at diagnosis was 7.7 years. No seasonal predominance was found.


CONCLUSIONS
Both C. pneumoniae and M. pneumoniae play a substantial role in community-acquired pneumonia in children aged more than 5 years old. Although coinfection with both species usually worsens the course of the disease, outcome in all the patients studied was satisfactory.
Sección de Infectología Pediátrica. Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón. Madrid. España.
A
A
Megías Montijano
J A
JA
Gómez Campderá
M L
ML
Navarro Gómez
M
M
Urán Moreno
M I
MI
González Sánchez
R
R
Rodríguez Fernández
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016993:Chlamydophila pneumoniae; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009177:Mycoplasma pneumoniae; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D011019:Pneumonia, Mycoplasma / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology