Pneumocytosis: An Emerging Opportunistic Mycosis of Public Health Importance

Abstract

Opportunistic mycoses have become a significant causee of morbidity and mortality in both sexes and in all age groups throughout the world. Pneumocytosis caused by Pneumocystis jiroveciiis, a potentially fatal fungal disease, is significant for public health. Pneumocytosis is often the AIDS-defining disease in HIV-infected patients, usually occurring when CD4 count drops below 200 cells/μL. However, the disease is a growing concern to immune compromised patients without HIV infection, such as those who are undergoing organ transplantation, receiving novel immunosuppressive therapeutics or those who have connective tissue diseases. Pneumocytosis is recognized to affect patients all over the world, and is transmitted from person to person through the airborne route. Patients with and without HIV infections have substantially distinct clinical presentations of Pneumocytosis. Disease has a bad prognosis in individuals who are HIV-negative, rapidly progresses, is challenging to correctly diagnose, and produces severe respiratory failure. Interstitial pneumonia in immune compromised patient a patient is the most common clinical symptom. Due to non-specific signs and symptoms, diagnosis of disease poses a problem. Since chest radiographs are not pathognomonic for disease and the organism cannot be cultivated routinely, a definitive diagnosis must be made using histopathology or cytopathology evidence of organisms in tissue, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid, or artificial sputum samples. Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) is the treatment of choice. Intravenous pentamidine, clindamycin-primaquine, daps one, atovaquone, and echinocandins are among the second-line treatment options in Pneumocytosis.