Pneumocystis pneumonia: importance of gallium scan for early diagnosis and description of a new immunoperoxidase technique to demonstrate Pneumocystis carinii

Journal Article · Fri Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1983 · Am. Rev. Respir. Dis.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1164/arrd.1983.128.1.182· OSTI ID:5504511

Levin, M; McLeod, R; Young, Q; Abrahams, C; Chambliss, M; Walzer, P; Kabins, S A

Pneumocystis pneumonia presented in a homosexual with fever, a normal chest radiograph, and pulmonary gallium uptake. Bronchial washings yielded Mycobaterium tuberculosis, but despite antituberculosis therapy he remained febrile, and gallium uptake in the lung increased. Subsequently, silver stain of transbronchial lung biopsy obtained 2 months earlier at the time that tuberculosis was diagnosed showed many Pneumocystis cysts in alveolar spaces. In contrast to Pneumocystis cysts in infected lung tissue from other humans, our patient's Pneumocystis cysts reacted more avidly with antiserum to rat Pneumocystis than with antiserum to human pneumocystis, raising the possibility that organisms that infect humans may have varied surface antigenic properties.

• Research Organization: Division of Infectious Diseases, Michael Reese Hospital, Chicago, Illinois
• OSTI ID: 5504511
• Journal Information: Am. Rev. Respir. Dis.; (United States), Journal Name: Am. Rev. Respir. Dis.; (United States) Vol. 128:1; ISSN ARRDA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550601* -- Medicine-- Unsealed Radionuclides in Diagnostics
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
ANTI-INFECTIVE AGENTS
ANTIBIOTICS
BACTERIA
BODY
DIAGNOSIS
DIAGNOSTIC USES
DISEASES
DRUGS
ELEMENTS
GALLIUM
LUNGS
METALS
MICROORGANISMS
MYCOBACTERIUM
MYCOBACTERIUM TUBERCULOSIS
ORGANS
PNEUMONIA
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM DISEASES
UPTAKE
USES