Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia: still a concern in patients with haematological malignancies and stem cell transplant recipients.

Link to article at PubMed

Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia: still a concern in patients with haematological malignancies and stem cell transplant recipients.

J Antimicrob Chemother. 2016 Sep;71(9):2379-85

Authors: Cordonnier C, Cesaro S, Maschmeyer G, Einsele H, Donnelly JP, Alanio A, Hauser PM, Lagrou K, Melchers WJ, Helweg-Larsen J, Matos O, Bretagne S, Maertens J, Fifth European Conference on Infections in Leukemia (ECIL-5), a joint venture of The European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT), The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC), the Immunocompromised Host Society (ICHS) and The European LeukemiaNet (ELN)

Abstract
Pneumocystis jirovecii can cause life-threatening pneumonia following treatment for haematological malignancies or after HSCT. The mortality rate of P. jirovecii pneumonia (PCP) in these patients is 30%-60%, especially after HSCT. The clinical presentation of PCP in haematology differs from that associated with HIV infection, with the disease being acute and more often severe, having a lower fungal burden and being more frequently linked to treatment with corticosteroids. Most cases occur in patients not receiving adequate prophylaxis. The development of new therapies, including targeted treatments and monoclonal antibodies in various haematological diseases, justifies constant vigilance in order to identify new at-risk populations and give prophylaxis accordingly. The fifth and sixth European Conferences on Infections in Leukaemia (ECIL-5 and ECIL-6) aimed to review risk factors for PCP in haematology patients and to establish evidence-based recommendations for PCP diagnosis, prophylaxis and treatment. This article focuses on the magnitude of the problem, the main differences in clinical presentation between haematology patients and other immunocompromised populations, especially HIV-infected patients, and the main risk factors.

PMID: 27550990 [PubMed - in process]

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