DERMATOMYOSITIS AND ATYPICAL PNEUMOCYSTIS -CARINII SP-F HOMINIS PULMONARY INFECTION

A Pneumocystis carinii sp. f. hominis (P. carinii) pulmonary infection (PCP) was retrospectively diagnosed in a patient with severe dermatom yositis and chronic interstitial pneumonitis. The case dated since 199 0: because of the low level parasitism in bronchoalveolar fluid (2 cys ts per slide detected by immunofluorescence assay) none specific treat ment was begun, however massive pneumonia did not occured. Nowaday pne umocystosis is most frequently considered to be a de novo infection an d we think today that this case was an atypical pneumocystosis rather than an asymptomatic carriage or a subclinical colonization. The airbo rne transmission and the host to host transmission of P. carinii have been established in rodents. We are wondering if these undiagnosed or untreated atypical PCP could be considered as a source of infective st ages of the micro-organism.