Medicine & USMLE

Pneumocystis jirovecii

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Fungi
  1. Histoplasma
  2. Blastomyces
  3. Coccidioides
  4. Paracoccidioides
  5. Tinea (Dermatophytes)
  6. Malassezia
  7. Candida albicans
  8. Aspergillus fumigatus
  9. Cryptococcus neoformans
  10. Mucor and Rhizopus
  11. Pneumocystis jirovecii
  12. Sporothrix schenckii

Pneumocystis jirovecii

  • Characteristics
    • Spore-producing fungus
  • Transmission
    • Opportunistic
      • Usually in immunocompromised patients (e.g. AIDS) 
  • Presentation
    • Pneumonia
      • Also referred to as pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP)
  • Diagnosis
    • Induced sputum or bronchoalveolar lavage
  • Treatment/prophylaxis 
    • TMP-SMX
      • Start prophylaxis when CD4+ <200 cells/mm3 in HIV patients
    • Pentamidine
      • Given IV for severe disease