Pneumonitis associated with Ureaplasma urealyticum in children with cancer.
We describe 3 pediatric patients with cancer who had clinical and radiographic evidence of pneumonitis and for whom cultures of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid specimens yielded Ureaplasma urealyticum. Two of the patients died; for the surviving patient, clinical improvement coincided temporally with administration of erythromycin. Immunocompromised patients with pneumonitis of unclear etiology should have respiratory secretions cultured for mycoplasmas and should receive empiric therapy that includes a macrolide antibiotic.
Buckingham
Steven C
SC
Department of Pediatrics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA. sbuckingham@utmem.edu
Crouse
Dennis T
DT
Knapp
Katherine M
KM
Patrick
Christian C
CC
D000293:Adolescent; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004917:Erythromycin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology*; D016990:Ureaplasma urealyticum / Q000187:drug effects
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004917:Erythromycin