Hemothorax in a patient with asthma.

Treatment of chronic illnesses such as asthma can often become routine. This is a case report that emphasizes the importance of a thorough history and physical examination for each exacerbation of asthma. An 11-year-old girl with a history of asthma presented to the emergency room with wheezing and dyspnea that was assumed to be an exacerbation of her chronic illness. After careful history taking and physical examination, a chest radiograph was recommended. The x-ray revealed a hemothorax and a new diagnosis was made, thoracic Ewing's sarcoma.

Infant pneumonitis associated with cytomegalovirus, Chlamydia, Pneumocystis, and Ureaplasma: follow-up.

A total of 205 infants who were hospitalized when younger than 3 months of age for pneumonitis were followed longitudinally. Of these patients, 145 (70%) had evidence of infection with one or more pathogens. The most common etiologic agents were Chlamydia trachomatis 61/193 (36%), respiratory syncytial virus 33/142 (23%), cytomegalovirus 42/203 (20%), Pneumocystis carinii 30/171 (17%), and Ureaplasma urealyticum 21/125 (16%). The initial clinical presentation was characterized by cough, rales, normal temperature, and diffuse obstructive airways disease by chest roentgenogram. Regardless of etiology, significant association occurred for cough and cytomegalovirus, apnea and Pneumocystis, and conjunctivitis and Chlamydia. Longitudinal follow-up demonstrates a mortality of 7/205 (3.4%). Morbidity was manifest as recurrent wheezing episodes in 86/187 (46%) patients, persistently abnormal chest roentgenographic findings for at least 12 months in 17/109 (15%) patients, and abnormal pulmonary functions in 15/25 (60%) patients. These abnormalities occurred irrespective of prematurity, atopy, or the initial etiologic agent associated with the pneumonitis. These data add further evidence that respiratory infections during infancy may well be predecessors of obstructive airways disease in later life.

Infant pneumonitis associated with cytomegalovirus, Chlamydia, Pneumocystis, and Ureaplasma: a prospective study.

In a prospective study of 104 infants between 1 and 3 months of age hospitalized with pneumonitis, 65 (63%) had evidence of infection with one or more potential respiratory pathogens. Single infections were noted in 48 (74%) whereas mixed infections occurred in 17 (26%) of 65 infected infants. The four most common infections were Chlamydia trachomatis (15/59, 25%), Ureaplasma urealyticum (8/38, 21%), cytomegalovirus (21/104, 20%), and Pneumocystis carinii (19/104, 18%). In sharp contrast, the incidence of these infections in control infants was 0% (0/25), 4% (2/49), 3% (3/97), and 0% (0/64), respectively. The clinical, radiologic, and laboratory characteristics of the pneumonitis syndrome associated with Chlamydia, cytomegalovirus, and Pneumocystis were indistinguishable from each other. Patients with mixed infections had a more severe pneumonitis as measured by the occurrence of apnea and the need of oxygen therapy an mechanical ventilation. The patients enrolled in this study are being followed-up to determine the longitudinal course of these infections.

Pneumocystis carinii pneumonitis in young immunocompetent infants.

Of 67 infants enrolled in a prospective study of infant pneumonia ten (14%) had evidence of Pneumocystis carinii infection. Diagnosis was achieved by demonstrating circulating P carinii antigens by counterimmunoelectrophoresis in all ten cases and by histopathology in the only infant who underwent an open lung biopsy. Antigenemia did not occur in 64 control infants (P = .003), nor in 57 patients of similar age who were hospitalized with pneumonitis due to Chlamydia trachomatis, respiratory syncytial virus, cytomegalovirus, adenovirus, and influenza A and influenza B viruses. None of the ten infants with P carinii pneumonitis had evidence of a primary immunodeficiency nor had any received immunosuppressive medication. These patients were hospitalized at a mean age of 6 weeks (range 2 to 12) and their illness was characterized by its afebrile course, presentation in crisis with severe respiratory distress, apnea, tachypnea, cough, increased IgM, and bilateral pulmonary infiltrates with hyperaeration. The clinical features of P carinii pneumonitis were indistinguishable from those of C trachomatis and cytomegalovirus pneumonia. Treatment with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole was associated wtih rapid disappearance of circulating antigens; however, the small number of patients studied did not permit an analysis of its clinical efficacy. These results indicate that P carinii singly or in combination with other infectious agents may be an important cause of pneumonitis in young, immunocompetent infants with no underlying illnesses.

The chest roentgenogram in cystic fibrosis: a new scoring system.

A roentgenogram scoring system is presented that is useful in the evaluation and follow-up of patients with cystic fibrosis. The system has been shown to be reproducible by and between observers and to correlate significantly with results of pulmonary function tests, Shwachman-Kulczycki scores, and, in a short-term evaluation, morbidity.

Sequestration of the lung in children.

Three instances of intralobar pulmonary sequestration are reported to call attention to the occurrence of this lesion in children. In all three patients, the sequestration was diagnosed by arteriography and treated by lobectomy. Extralobar and intralobar sequestrations are described and the differential diagnosis is discussed.

Protracted pneumonitis in young infants associated with perinatally acquired cytomegaloviral infection.

Two infants developed a protracted pneumonitis with lower respiratory obstruction beginning at one month of age. Lung biopsy in one suggested a viral etiology which prompted an extensive investigation of each infant for specific etiology. Virologic, serologic, immunologic, and electronmicroscopic studies indicated that cytomegalovirus was a major causative factor. The infections were apparently acquired at birth from infected maternal genital tracts and have persisted for prolonged periods of time. Evidence for gross immunologic defect as a precipitating cause was lacking. These infants serve to emphasize the possible pathologic potential of CMV when acquired in early life even in the absence of iatrogenic immunosuppression.