Pulmonary toxoplasmosis in bone marrow transplant recipients: Report of two cases and review

Toxoplasma gondii may cause disseminated disease in bone marrow transplant (BMT) recipients. Pulmonary toxoplasmosis in BMT patients is rarely describ ed. Mortality rates of >90% have been previously reported. Since pulmonary toxoplasmosis is extremely difficult to diagnose, it is very often detected only at autopsy. Two cases of pulmonary toxoplasmosis in BMT recipients th at were diagnosed by visualization of T, gondii tachyzoites in bronchoalveo lar lavage fluid and by a new semi-nested PCR method amplifying 18S rRNA fr om bronchoalveolar lavage fluid are presented, and the literature on pulmon ary toxoplasmosis in BMT patients is reviewed.