Granulomatous Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia mimicking tuberculosis. 1989

J B Cupples, and S P Blackie, and J D Road
Department of Pathology, University Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.

A 62-year-old man with untreated, well-differentiated lymphocytic lymphoma, presenting with progressive dyspnea, was found on open lung biopsy to have multiple necrotizing granulomas that on frozen section were initially called tuberculosis. Routine Grocott methenamine-silver stain showed these to contain Pneumocystis carinii organisms. A review of the literature shows that this is an unusual histologic presentation that can occur in a wide variety of immunosuppressed states, including the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. The histologic similarities to tuberculous infection are stressed to increase the awareness of possible misdiagnosis that could result in delayed or inappropriate therapy.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D008875 Middle Aged An adult aged 45 - 64 years. Middle Age
D011020 Pneumonia, Pneumocystis A pulmonary disease in humans occurring in immunodeficient or malnourished patients or infants, characterized by DYSPNEA, tachypnea, and HYPOXEMIA. Pneumocystis pneumonia is a frequently seen opportunistic infection in AIDS. It is caused by the fungus PNEUMOCYSTIS JIROVECII. The disease is also found in other MAMMALS where it is caused by related species of Pneumocystis. P carinii Pneumonia,P. carinii Pneumonia,P. jirovecii Pneumonia,PCP Pneumonia,Pneumocystis Pneumonia,Pneumocystosis,Pneumonia, Interstitial Plasma Cell,PCP Infection,Pneumocystis carinii Pneumonia,Pneumocystis jirovecii Pneumonia,Pneumonia, Pneumocystis carinii,Infection, PCP,P carinii Pneumonias,P. carinii Pneumonias,P. jirovecii Pneumonias,PCP Infections,PCP Pneumonias,Pneumocystis Pneumonias,Pneumocystoses,Pneumonia, P carinii,Pneumonia, P. carinii,Pneumonia, P. jirovecii,Pneumonia, PCP,Pneumonia, Pneumocystis jirovecii,Pneumonias, PCP
D003937 Diagnosis, Differential Determination of which one of two or more diseases or conditions a patient is suffering from by systematically comparing and contrasting results of diagnostic measures. Diagnoses, Differential,Differential Diagnoses,Differential Diagnosis
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D014397 Tuberculosis, Pulmonary MYCOBACTERIUM infections of the lung. Pulmonary Consumption,Pulmonary Phthisis,Pulmonary Tuberculoses,Pulmonary Tuberculosis,Tuberculoses, Pulmonary,Consumption, Pulmonary,Consumptions, Pulmonary,Phthises, Pulmonary,Phthisis, Pulmonary,Pulmonary Consumptions,Pulmonary Phthises

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