Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection

Case history

A 20-year-old university student presents with a 3-day history of cough, fever, malaise, and headache. On examination, he is febrile to 38.3°C (101°F) and has mild crackles in the right lower lung field.

Other presentations

Infection with Mycoplasma pneumoniae is sometimes asymptomatic which may represent a carrier state.[1]Spuesens EB, Fraaij PL, Visser EG, et al. Carriage of Mycoplasma pneumoniae in the upper respiratory tract of symptomatic and asymptomatic children: an observational study. PLoS Med. 2013;10:e1001444. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3653782 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23690754?tool=bestpractice.com Symptomatic infection most commonly presents as upper respiratory illness or acute bronchitis, and less commonly as pneumonia.

Extrapulmonary manifestations of M pneumoniae infection may include those affecting the cardiovascular system (e.g., pericarditis), the central nervous system (e.g., early-onset encephalitis), and the haematological system (e.g., haemolytic anaemia).[2]Narita M. Classification of Extrapulmonary Manifestations Due to Mycoplasma pneumoniae Infection on the Basis of Possible Pathogenesis. Front Microbiol. 2016;7:23. https://www.doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2016.00023 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26858701?tool=bestpractice.com See Complications.