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Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP), also known as Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP), is a form of pneumonia that is caused by the yeast-like fungus Pneumocystis jirovecii. [ 3 ] [ 4 ] Pneumocystis specimens are commonly found in the lungs of healthy people although it is usually not a cause for disease. [ 5 ]
Pneumocystosis is a fungal infection that most often presents as Pneumocystis pneumonia in people with HIV/AIDS or poor immunity. [1] [7] It usually causes cough, difficulty breathing and fever, and can lead to respiratory failure. [4]
Pneumocystis pneumonia is an important disease of immunocompromised humans, particularly patients with HIV, but also patients with an immune system that is severely suppressed for other reasons, for example, following a bone marrow transplant. In humans with a normal immune system, it is an extremely common silent infection. [4]
Diagnosis is often based on symptoms and physical examination. [8] Chest X-rays, blood tests, and culture of the sputum may help confirm the diagnosis. [8] The disease may be classified by where it was acquired, such as community- or hospital-acquired or healthcare-associated pneumonia. [18]
Diagnosis is carried out in steps. Patient history is obtained, including the symptoms and their duration, as well as exposure to any risk factors of the disease. A chest X-ray may be performed to check for signs of inflammation [5] and a complete blood count will also be obtained.
Fungal pneumonia can be diagnosed in a number of ways. The simplest and cheapest method is to culture the fungus from a patient's respiratory fluids. However, such tests are not only insensitive but take time to develop which is a major drawback because studies have shown that slow diagnosis of fungal pneumonia is linked to high mortality. [4]
In adults, the most common cause of PAP is an autoimmunity to granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), a critical factor in development of alveolar macrophages. Decreased bioavailability of GM-CSF results in poor alveolar macrophages development and function, which results in accumulation of surfactant and related products.
Radiography is an important tool in diagnosis of certain disorders. Medical diagnosis (abbreviated Dx, [1] D x, or D s) is the process of determining which disease or condition explains a person's symptoms and signs. It is most often referred to as a diagnosis with the medical context being implicit.