All issues > Volume 48(2); 2005

Original Article

Korean J Pediatr. 2005;48(2):154-157. Published online February 15, 2005.

Clinico-epidemiologic Study of Mycoplasma pneumoniae Pneumonia(1993 through 2003)

Seung-Hyun SH Lee¹, Suk-Man SM Noh¹, Kyung-Yil KY Lee¹, Hyung-Shin HS Lee¹, Ja-Hyun JH Hong¹, Mi-Hee MH Lee¹, Joon-Sung JS Lee¹, Byung-Chul BC Lee¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea

Correspondence Kyung-Yil KY Lee ,Email: leekyungyil@Catholic.ac.kr

Abstract

Purpose
: We evaluated the epidemiologic and clinical characteristics of mycoplasma pneumonia.
Methods
: A total of 559 medical records of children with mycoplasma pneumonia admitted to The Catholic University of Korea, Daejeon St. Mary's Hospital, were retrospectively analyzed.
Results
: The mean annual number of cases was 51. There was a higher occurrence in autumn (September-November, 41.7%) and in winter(26.7%). Outbreaks of mycoplasma pneumonia were noted in 1993-94, 1997, 2001, and 2003. The age distribution showed a peak frequency of 5-6 years of age and 68.2 percent of patients were in 3-8 years of age. The male-to-female ratio was 1.2 : 1. In comparison between 1994 and 2003, there was a difference in age distribution with a peak frequency of 5-6 years of age in 1994, and of 3-4 years of age in 2003. There were outbreaks during autumn and winter in 1993-94, and during summer and autumn in 2003.
Conclusion
: Outbreaks of mycoplasma pneumonia occurred every 2-4 years in Daejeon in accordance with nationwide epidemics during 1993-2003. The peak incidence of age in the recent outbreak was younger than in the outbreak which occurred 10 years ago, and in outbreaks in Western countries.

Keywords :Mycoplasma pneumonia , Epidemic , Epidemiology