Lung - nontumor - Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia

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Lung-nontumor

Infections

Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia

Reviewers: Elliot Weisenberg, M.D. (see Reviewers page)
Revised: 21 September 2011, last major update September 2011
Copyright: (c) 2003-2011, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.

Definition
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● Strict aerobe that lacks a true cell wall, 0.2 -0.8 um and among the smallest free living bacterias
● Formerly called atypical pneumonia (atypical due to moderate sputum production and consolidation and only minimal leukocytosis)

Clinical features
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● Common in children and young adults, but may occur in older age groups
● Causes community acquired pneumonia (eMedicine), either interstitial (usually) or bronchopneumonia (rare)
● Often asymptomatic
● Superimposed bacterial infection may occur
● Diagnosis: rarely biopsied, diagnose with complement fixation antigen assays; cold agglutinins present in 50% of cases

Treatment
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● Macrolides (erythromycin), although may be resistance (J Infect Chemother 2011;17:114)

Gross description
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● Red-blue, congested, patchy lungs; usually no pleuritis

Micro description
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● Bronchiolitis, interstitial and minimal intra-alveolar involvement with widened alveolar septa due to lymphoplasmacytic inflammatory cells
● Intra-alveolar proteinaceous material
● Neutrophilic infiltrate in bronchioles acutely, bronchiolar metaplasia, lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate in bronchial wall and pneumocyte hyperplasia

EM images
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EM images

Videos
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● Gliding phase

Differential diagnosis of infectious interstitial pneumonia
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● Respiratory syncytial virus, rhinovirus, rubeola, varicella, Chlamydia psittacosis, Coxiella burnetti (Q fever)

End of Lung-nontumor > Infections > Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia

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