J Korean Surg Soc.  2012 Jul;83(1):50-55. 10.4174/jkss.2012.83.1.50.

Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in gastric cancer patients without acquired immune deficiency syndrome: 3 cases report and literature review

• Yoon SY
• Ki HK
• Kim SY
• Cho YH
• Lee HG
• Yoo MW

• KMID: 2212279
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4174/jkss.2012.83.1.50

Abstract

Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) has rarely been reported in solid tumor patients. It is a well-known complication in immunosuppressed states including acquired immune deficiency syndrome and hematologic malignancy. PCP has been reported in solid tumor patients who received long-term steroid treatment due to brain or spinal cord metastases. We found 3 gastric cancer patients with PCP, who received only dexamethasone as an antiemetic during chemotherapy. The duration and cumulative dose of dexamethasone used in each patient was 384 mg/48 days, 588 mg/69 days, and 360 mg/42 days, respectively. These cases highlight that the PCP in gastric cancer patients can successfully be managed through clinical suspicion and prompt treatment. The cumulative dose and duration of dexamethasone used in these cases can be basic data for risk of PCP development in gastric cancer patients during chemotherapy.

Keyword

Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia; Gastric cancer; Chemotherapy

MeSH Terms

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
Brain
Dexamethasone
Hematologic Neoplasms
Humans
Neoplasm Metastasis
Pneumocystis
Pneumocystis carinii
Pneumonia, Pneumocystis
Spinal Cord
Stomach Neoplasms
Dexamethasone

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Chest posterior-anterior view and computed tomography (CT) of patient 1. A and B is the chest X-ray and CT of before anti-pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) treatment and C and D is that of after anti-PCP treatment respectively.

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  Fig. 2 Chest posterior-anterior view and computed tomography (CT) of patient 2. A and B is the chest X-ray and CT of before anti-pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) treatment and C and D is that of after anti-PCP treatment respectively.

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  Fig. 3 Chest posterior-anterior view of patient 3. A and B is the chest X-ray of before anti-pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) treatment and that of after anti-PCP treatment respectively.

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