Pneumocystis carinii Pneumonia in a Hospital for Children

Abstract

The first large outbreak ofPneumocystis cariniipneumonia reported in the United States occurred at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis. Seventeen cases were documented during 1968 through 1969; only two cases had been identified in the preceding six years. All 19 affected children were being given immunosuppressive drugs for malignant disease; 14 had acute leukemia. A review of 301 consecutive autopsies at St. Jude demonstrated clinically inapparentP cariniiinfection in 40 additional patients. Epidemiologic analysis suggested that more intensive chemotherapy caused the outbreak ofPneumocystispneumonia by activating the inapparentPneumocystisinfection commonly associated with neoplastic disease.