All issues > Volume 30(7); 1987

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1987;30(7):759-768. Published online July 31, 1987.

A Clinical Study on Patients with Mycoplasma Pneumoniae Pneumonia in Childhood.

Yeong Ho Ra¹, Sung Ho Cha¹, Sa Joon Chung¹, Yong Mook Choi¹, Chang Il Ahn¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University

Abstract

Clinical features of 96 cases (46 Mycoplasmal pneumonia: Group I, 50 Non-Mycoplasmal pneumo- nia: Group II) above 2 years of age were studied prospectively from December, 1985 to June, 1986 who were admitted to the Dept, of Pediatrics, Kyung Hee University Hospital. The summary of the study is as follows: 1) Among the total 96 cases with pneumonia above 2 years of age, the frequency of Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia was 48.4% (46 cases) which was based on the results of cold agglutinin test. Among 21 cases with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia whom the Indirect Hemagglutinin (IHA) Tests were performed, positive IHA results were obtained in 15 cases (71.4%). 2) The peak incidences of age were 6—10 years old in the Group I and 2—5 years old in the Group II, respectively. The mean age of the Group I and Group II were 6.4±2.4 years and 4.4±1.8 years, respectively and the mean age of Group I was higher than Group II, significantly. (p<0.05). Male to female ratio of the two groups were 1.5:1 and 1.2:1, respectively. 3) As for the clinical symptoms at presentation, the most frequent symptoms were cough, fever and sputum, such as usual constitutional symptoms of pneumonia, were noted in order of frequency in both groups. On the other hands, sore throat and abdominal pain were more frequently noted in the Group I and the difference was significant (p < 0.05). 4) On physical examination, moist rale was noted most frequently in both groups, but red throat was more common in the Group I and the difference was significant (p < 0.05). 5) Among the laboratory findings, increased sGPT level was noted more frequently in the Group I than the Group II and the difference in frequency was significant (p < 0.05). The mean levels of serum Immunoglobulin G, A and M in the Group I were within normal limits mostly but the increased levels of IgM were «oted more frequently than the other Immunoglobulins and the differences were significant (p<0.05). 6) As for the findings of chest roentgenography, the most frequent finding was bronchopneumonic infiltration in the both groups, but hilar adenopathy and pleural effusion were noted in the Group I alone. Among the sites involved, unilateral involvement was prominent in both group but the frequency of involvement of lower lobes in the Group I was higher than the Group II significantly (p<0.05), 7) As for the effect of treatment, the duration of coughing was shorter in patients who were treated with erythromycin within 5 days after onset than the patients who were treated after 5 days, before 10 days after onset. But there was no significant difference in the duration of cough(p>0.1). And the time of begining of resolution of pneumonic infiltration was faster in the erythromycin-treated patients than the penicillin-treated patient but there was no significant difference. 8) As for the complications hepatic dysfunction and pleural effusion was observed as 13 cases and 2 cases, respectively in the Group I alone. 9) Mean duration of hospitalization of the Group I and II were 9.5 and 8.5 days respectively, but there was no significant difference (p>0.1).

Keywords :Mycoplasma pneumoniae Pneumonia; Cold agglutinin.