Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia has been observed in Europe since the early period of this century. In Japan, the number of reported cases has not reached twenty.
In early reported cases Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia usually occurred in premature or debilitated newborn infants, but in recent cases it was noted to occur not only in newborn infants and children but also frequently in adults.
The purpose of this report is to present seven autopsy cases of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia and to discuss on clinicopathological problems, and pathological and parasitological findings of this disease.
Underlying diseases in six of seven autopsy cases were leukemia and malignant lymphoma. They were treated with high dosage of steroid and anticancerous drugs. Another case was a 11 month-old infant with hypogammaglobulinemia, Gitlin type. Regarding clinical symptomes, fever, cough and dyspnea were prominent. Chest roentogenograms revealed soft diffuse opacities of the both sides, most striking in the hilar regions.
Macroscopically, the lungs were pale, firm and expanded. The cut-surface was yellow, tan, dark red, slightly mucinous and diffusely consolidated. The bronchi and bronchioles were normal except the case with hypogammaglobulinemia.
On microscopic observation, the alveoli were dilated and contained slightly eosinophilic honeycombed exudate with some desquamated epithelium. The specimens stained by Grocott's methenamine silver technique demonstrated numerous cystic organisms of Pneumocystis carinii within the material in the alveolar spaces. They were usually arranged in cluster and showed various cystic shapes such as round, oval and crescent. Plasmacellular infiltration in alveolar septa and interstitial fibrosis, which have been considered to be characteristic findings of this disease, were not found in our cases. Organization of honeycombed exudate from the alveolar wall was found frequently in prolonged cases.
Cytomegalic inclusion bodies in the alveolar epithelium were found in two cases.
Ultrastructural obsevration demonstrated thickwalled cysts having intracystic bodies and filopodia as well as thinwalled cysts.
With a long-term use of immunosuppressive cytotoxic drugs and steroid in the treatment of malignant diseases and in organ transplantation, Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia has become an important clinical entity in adults. Debility and lowered resistance of the patients appeared to be the most important factor permitting the development of the disease.
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