Pneumocystis Carinii Pneumonia and Congenital Hypogammaglobulinaemia.

A type of pneumonia due to the protozoon Pneumocystis carinii has been recognized in Europe for many years. There is frequent association with interstitial plasma cell pneumonia. Premature infants and debilitated full-term infants are chiefly affected, with peak incidence of infection occurring between 6 weeks and 4 months (Gajdusek, 1957). In recent years sporadic cases have been reported in Great Britain, the United States, Canada and Australia. Reports are increasing, but they differ in some respects from the European cases. Older children seem to be affected and there is frequent association with congenital hypogammaglobulinaemia. There have been no reported survivors in cases outside Europe. The purpose of this report is to present two further cases of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, which were associated with hypogammaglobulinaemia. One of them appears to have responded to treatment with the aromatic diamidine, pentamidine.