RESPIRATORY CRYPTOSPORIDIOSIS - CASE SERIES AND REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

Five case of intestinal cryptosporidiosis with pulmonary involvement i n patients with AIDS are reported, The diagnosis was based on the reco gnition of acid-fast oocysts in sputum or aspirated bronchial material and stool specimens. Coughing and excess secretions were present in a ll cases; Four patients had other associated pulmonary pathogens: two Mycobacterium tuberculosis, one Mycobacterium fortuitum and one Cytome galovirus + Pneumocystis carinii; all of them had a previous (three ca ses) or simultaneous (one case) diagnosis of intestinal cryptosporidio sis, presenting,vith diarrhoea and vomiting, In the fifth patient Cryp tosporidium was the only pulmonary pathogen found in a bronchial aspir ate, and the onset of diarrhoea was 1 month after respiratory detectio n, Fifty-seven cases of respiratory cryptosporidiosis have been report ed since 1980, In 17 of them, no other pathogen was found. Diarrhoea w as present in 77 % of the patients, cough in 77 %, dyspnea in 58 %, ex pectoration in 54 %, fever in 45 %, thoracic pain in 33 %.