title: A case of pneumocystis pneumonia associated with everolimus therapy for renal cell carcinoma.
abstract: A 76-year-old female with advanced renal cell carcinoma had been treated with everolimus for 3 months. She visited our hospital because of a cough and fever lasting a few days. Chest X-rays showed bilateral infiltrative shadows, and a chest computed tomography scan showed homogeneous ground-glass opacities with mosaic patterns, especially in the apical region. The laboratory results revealed a decreased white blood cell count with lymphocytopenia and high levels of lactate dehydrogenase, C-reactive protein and KL-6. Pneumonitis was suspected and, therefore, everolimus therapy was interrupted. At that time, the pneumonitis was thought to be drug-induced interstitial lung disease. However, it was not possible to rule out pneumocystis pneumonia, because the patient was immunocompromised and the computed tomography findings suggested the possibility of pneumocystis pneumonia. The pneumonitis progressed rapidly and the patient developed respiratory failure, so we performed bronchoalveolar lavage to make a definitive diagnosis, and simultaneously started treatment with prednisolone and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole to cover both interstitial lung disease and pneumocystis pneumonia. A polymerase chain reaction assay of the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was positive for Pneumocystis carinii DNA, and the serum level of β-d-glucan was significantly elevated. Thus, the patient was diagnosed with pneumocystis pneumonia, which was cured by the treatment. Interstitial lung disease is a major adverse drug reaction associated with everolimus, and interstitial lung disease is the first condition suspected when a patient presents with pneumonitis during everolimus therapy. Pneumocystis pneumonia associated with everolimus therapy is rare, but our experience suggests that pneumocystis pneumonia should be considered as a differential diagnosis when pneumonitis is encountered in patients receiving everolimus therapy.
authors: Department of Pulmonary Medicine and Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan, Japan. yo-saito@nms.ac.jp
authors: Yoshinobu
authors: Y
authors: Saito
authors: Mikie
authors: M
authors: Nagayama
authors: Yukiko
authors: Y
authors: Miura
authors: Satoko
authors: S
authors: Ogushi
authors: Yasutomo
authors: Y
authors: Suzuki
authors: Rintaro
authors: R
authors: Noro
authors: Yuji
authors: Y
authors: Minegishi
authors: Go
authors: G
authors: Kimura
authors: Yukihiro
authors: Y
authors: Kondo
authors: Akihiko
authors: A
authors: Gemma
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D018893:Bronchoalveolar Lavage; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D000068338:Everolimus; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017563:Lung Diseases, Interstitial / Q000175:diagnosis; D045363:Pneumocystis carinii / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D011020:Pneumonia, Pneumocystis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000382:microbiology*; D020123:Sirolimus / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015662:Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D015662:Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination; D000068338:Everolimus; D020123:Sirolimus