Korean J Pediatr Infect Dis.  2008 Dec;15(2):162-166. 10.14776/kjpid.2008.15.2.162.

Recent Trends in the Prevalence of Mycoplasma pneumoniae Pneumonia According to Age

• Lee HS
• Choi KM

• KMID: 2439927
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.14776/kjpid.2008.15.2.162

Abstract

PURPOSE
It has been previously reported that for patients with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia was previously recognized that overt illness is unusual under the age of three and the peak incidence of illness occurs in school-aged children. However, a higher incidence of this illness in younger children has been recently noted. Thus we investigated the incidence of M. pneumoniae pneumonia.
METHODS
The study subjects were 414 children who were diagnosed with M. pneumoniae pneumonia from January 2004 to December 2006 at Myong Ji Hospital were enrolled. The diagnostic criteria consisted of an anti-mycoplasma antibody (AMA) titer greater than 1:320 or a four-fold rise in the titer at follow up.
RESULTS
The age distribution was as follows: before 2 years of age: 58 patients (14%), 2-4 years of age 157 patients (37.9%) and 5-15 years of age 199 patients (48.1%). The yearly incidence for the children before 5 years of age was 52 (44%), 49 (44.6%) and 114 (61.3%), respectively. The distribution according to the antibody titer was as follows; 1:320 in 130 patients, 1:640 in 63 patients and greater than 1:1,280 in 221 patients. The hospital stay according to the antibody titer was not significant according to either age or the AMA titers.
CONCLUSION
M. pneumoniae pneumonia showed a peak incidence in preschool children with a higher prevalence in children under the age of three than was previously recognized. The emergence of M. pneumoniae pneumonia as a cause of community acquired pneumonia in younger children calls for an epidemiologic study to investigate the changes of the pathogens in this age group and to recommend the proper treatment.

Keyword

Pneumonia; Mycoplasma pneumoniae; Children

MeSH Terms

Age Distribution
Child
Child, Preschool
Epidemiologic Studies
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Incidence
Length of Stay
Mycoplasma pneumoniae*
Mycoplasma*
Pneumonia*
Pneumonia, Mycoplasma*
Prevalence*