Pneumocystis jirovecii in immunocompromised patients with rheumatic diseases

Abstract

Infections, including opportunistic infections, are a major and frequent cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with systemic autoimmune and rheumatic diseases. Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia, classically considered to be typical of HIV patients, transplanted patients or patients treated with oncological chemotherapy, is appearing increasingly frequently in these patients. Therefore, rheumatologists should know its mechanism of production, clinical manifestations, treatment and prophylaxis, all of which are addressed in this review.

Keywords: Autoimmune disease; Enfermedad autoinmunitaria; Enfermedad reumática; Immunosuppression; Inmunosupresión; Pneumocystis jirovecii; Profilaxis; Prophylaxis; Rheumatic disease.