Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP)

This lung infection, also called PCP, is caused by a fungus, which used to be called Pneumocystis carinii,
but now is named Pneumocystis jirovecii. PCP occurs in people with weakened immune systems,
including people with HIV. The first signs of infection are difficulty breathing, high fever, and dry cough.

Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) is a common opportunistic infection occurring in HIV infected
individuals. In 80% of cases it is the first indicator of the development of AIDS. Usually these patients will
have a CD4+ Tlymphoeyte counts of less than 200/uL or a CD4+/CD8+ ratio of less than 20%.

Early PCP may be asymptomatic, therefore a high index of suspicion should be developed in physicians
caring for HIV-infected individuals. Symptoms of PCP may include dry cough of more than 5 days, fever
and difficulty in breathing. Physical examination may show minimal signs. More advanced infection will
include acute breathlessness, cyanosis and presence of respiratory rates. The chest X-ray may be
normal.