Fulminant Mycoplasma pneumoniae Pneumonia

• Published in: Internal Medicine Vol. 40; no. 4; pp. 345 - 348
• Main Authors: TAKIGUCHI, Yasuo, SHIKAMA, Nobuaki, AOTSUKA, Nobuyuki, KOSEKI, Hideyuki, TERANO, Takashi, HIRAI, Akira
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Tokyo The Japanese Society of Internal Medicine 2001; Japanese Society of Internal Medicine
• Subjects: acute respiratory distress syndrome; Adrenal Cortex Hormones - therapeutic use; Bacterial diseases; Bacterial diseases of the respiratory system; Biological and medical sciences; disseminated intravascular coagulation; Erythromycin - therapeutic use; Fatal Outcome; Female; Hemodiafiltration; Human bacterial diseases; Humans; Infectious diseases; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; multiple organ failure; Multiple Organ Failure - etiology; Multiple Organ Failure - therapy; Plasma Exchange; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma - complications; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma - diagnosis; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma - therapy; Respiration, Artificial; Human; Lung disease; Corticosteroid; Disseminated intravascular coagulopathy; Pneumonia; Respiratory disease; Mycoplasma pneumoniae; Erythromycin; Mycoplasmataceae; Mollicutes; Case study; Mycoplasmatales; Treatment; Bacteria; Respiratory distress; Ventilation; Diagnosis
• ISSN: 0918-2918; 1349-7235
• DOI: 10.2169/internalmedicine.40.345

A 64-year-old woman who was previously in good health was admitted because of progressive respiratory distress. Her chest radiograph revealed bilateral widespread alveolar infiltrates. She was given a diagnosis of pneumonia caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae serologically, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and disseminated intravascular coagulation. She died of multiple organ failure despite intensive therapy with mechanical ventilation, intravenous erythromycin and corticosteroids, continuous hemodiafiltration, and plasma exchange. Although Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection is usually a benign self-limited disease, this case emphasizes its potentially serious nature even in normal healthy individuals. (Internal Medicine 40: 345-348, 2001)