Pneumocystis jirovecipneumonia

Pneu·mo·cys·tis ji·ro·ve·cipneu·mo·ni·a

(nū-mō-sis'tis jī-rō-vē'sī nū-mō'nē-ă) Pneumonia resulting from infection with P. jiroveci, frequently seen in the immunologically compromised, such as people with AIDS, or steroid-treated patients, the elderly, or premature or debilitated babies. Throughout the alveolar walls and pulmonary septa there is a diffuse infiltration of mononuclear inflammatory cells, chiefly plasma cells and macrophages, as well as a few lymphocytes. Helmet-shaped organisms can be demonstrated in sputum and tissue specimens with silver stains. Patients may be only slightly febrile (or even afebrile), but are likely to be extremely weak, dyspneic, and cyanotic. This disorder is a major cause of morbidity among patients with AIDS
Synonym(s): interstitial plasma cell pneumonia, pneumocystosis.

Pneu·mo·cys·tis ji·ro·ve·cipneu·mo·ni·a

(nū-mō-sis'tis jī-rō-vē'chē nū-mō'nē-ă) Pneumonia resulting from infection with Pneumocystis jiroveci, frequently seen in the immunologically compromised, such as people with AIDS, or those treated with steroids, the elderly, or premature or debilitated babies during their first 3 months. Formerly, causative agent was known as Pneumocystis carinii.