Relationship between Complications of Mycoplasma Pneumonia and Titers of Cold Agglutinin and Mycoplasma Antibody in Children

Rim, Sung Soo; Cho, Myung Hyun; Moon, Byung Min; Kim, Kyoung Sim; Kim, Kibok

Abstract

PURPOSE
To assess the relationship between the complications of mycoplasma pneumonia and titers of cold agglutinin and mycoplasma antibody in children.
METHODS
120 cases of mycoplasmal pneumonia in children who were admitted to the Pediatric Department of Kwangju Christian Hospital between June 1993 and May 1994 were analyzed.
RESULTS
1) The peak incidence of age was between 2 and 6 years, and the sex ratio of boy to girl was 1 : 1.1. 2) Chest X-ray examinations revealed that the most common type of pneumonia was bronchopneumonia(51 cases, 42.5%); unilateral involvement was common(60.8%); and the lower lobe was the most commonly involved(50 cases, 41.6%). 3) Pulmonary complications were sinusitis in 43 cases(35.8%), followed by atelectasis in 24, pleural effusion in 18, asthma in 15, pharyngitis in 9, laryngitis in 4 and Swyer- James syndrome in 1 case. 4) Extrapulmonary complications were hepatitis in 12 cases, proteinuria in 7, hematuria in 5, convulsion in 3, psychosis in 3 and nephrotic syndrome, encephalitis and disseminated intravascular coagulation in 1 each. 5) No significant relationships were found between the duration of pneumonia and cold agglutinin titer, and between the duration of pneumonia and mycoplasma antibody titer(p>0.05). 6) The occurrence rate of the complications was not related to cold agglutinin titer(r=0.291); but it was significantly related to mycoplasma antibody titer(r=0.764), i.e., the higher the mycoplasma antibody titer, the higher incidence of complications.
CONCLUSIONS
The occurrence rate of complications of mycoplasma pneumonia was not related to cold agglutinin titer, but it was significantly correlated with mycoplasma antibody titer.