MYCOPLASMA PNEUMONIAE (M. Pn.) IN A PEDIATRIC TUMOR CLINIC POPULATION

Abstract

M. Pn. screening was undertaken in a tumor clinic population because of the high incidence of symptomatic respiratory illness. Forty-five patients (Gp. I), ages 18 mos. -22 yrs., with neoplastic disease on immunosuppressive therapy, were cultured over a 6 mo. period and compared to a general pediatric out-patient population (Gp. II). The positive isolation rate from throat swabs was 33/45 (73%) in Gp. I and 23/55 (42%) in Gp. II. In Gp. I during this period, 13/33 remained free of respiratory symptoms and had negative chest x-rays; 15/33 had pharyngitis, rhinitis or cough; 15/33 had fever; 8/33 had x-rays positive for pneumonia; 7/33 had acute otitis media and 2/33 had conjunctivitis. Of the 12 culture negative patients in Gp. I (2-5 cultures/patient), 7/12 were well; 3/12 had URI; 1/12 had fever; and 1/12 had a positive x-ray for pneumonia. There were 8/33 patients in Gp. I who remained positive for at least 3 mos. with intermittent symptoms and mean H.I. titer rises of 2.5 fold compared to 1.3 fold in the remaining 25/33 short-term positive patients (p = 0.04). Absolute white counts and specific chemotherapeutic agents did not appear related to incidence or course of infection. Erythromycin therapy produced definite clinical improvement in 4/14 patients with M. Pn. M. Pn. appears to be an agent of high prevalence in patients with malignancies and is difficult to eradicate.

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