[Respiratory infection due to Chlamydia trachomatis in infants. Clinical presentation and outcome in 18 patients].
BACKGROUND
Among other diseases, Chlamydia trachomatis causes epididymitis and prostatitis in men and urethritis, cervicitis and pelvic inflammatory disease in women. In children, it most usually causes conjunctivitis and is also responsible for lower respiratory tract disease, occasionally requiring hospital admission.


OBJECTIVE
To draw attention to this disease, which is usually overlooked and which can be potentially serious.


METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of infants aged less than 6 months with symptoms of lower respiratory tract disease in whom C. trachomatis antigen was detected by enzyme immunoassay.


RESULTS
We identified 18 patients with C. trachomatis between 1993 and 2002. Of these, 17 patients required hospital admission and five required monitoring in the pediatric intensive care unit. The mean length of hospital stay was 9.6 days. Three patients were immigrants. The mean age at admission was 6.6 weeks. Apnea occurred in five infants. Chest x-ray showed interstitial infiltrates in five infants. Sixteen patients were treated with erythromycin and all made a complete recovery.


CONCLUSIONS
Although lower respiratory tract disease caused by C. trachomatis is usually managed on an outpatient basis, it sometimes requires hospital admission or even management in the intensive care unit. Therefore, C. trachomatis infection should be ruled out in infants aged less than 6 months with clinical symptoms of lower respiratory tract disease for which no other pathogen can be found.
Marín Gabriel
M A
MA
Seccion de Inmunodeficiencia, Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.
de las Heras Ibarra
S
S
Bergón Sendín
E
E
Baro Fernández
Ma
M
Sanz
F
F
García Martínez
J
J
Ruiz Contreras
J
J
D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies