PMID: 16508683Mar 2, 2006Paper

Community respiratory viruses as a cause of lower respiratory tract infections following suppressive chemotherapy in cancer patients

Journal of the Egyptian National Cancer Institute
Hadir A El-MahallawyAmira Kandil

Abstract

Community respiratory viruses are an important cause of respiratory disease in the immunocompromised patients with cancer. To evaluate the occurrence and clinical significance of respiratory virus infections in hospitalized cancer patients at National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, during anticancer treatment, we studied cases that developed episodes of lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI). Thirty patients with LRTI were studied clinically, radiologically, and microbiologically. Sputum cultures were done and an immunofluorescence search for IgM antibodies of influenza A and B, parainfluenza serotypes 1, 2 and 3, adenovirus, respiratory syncytial virus, Legionella pneumophila, Coxiella burnettii, Chlamydia pneumoniae, and Mycoplasma pneumoniae were performed on serum samples of patients. The main presenting symptom was cough and expectoration. Hematologic malignancy was the underlying disease in 86.6% of cases. Blood cultures were positive in 11 patients (36.6%) only. Sputum cultures revealed a bacterial pathogen in 13 cases and fungi in 3; whereas viral and atypical bacterial IgM antibodies were detected in 13 and 4 patients; respectively. Influenza virus was the commonest virus detected, being of type B in 4 cases, t...Continue Reading

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