Pneumocystis Carinii pneumonia with pleural effusion in patients after chemotherapy: A case report

Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) rarely occurs in association with pleural effusion. Often, PCP develops in immunosuppressed patients (e.g., patients in chemotherapy, recipients of organ transplantation, and those undergoing high-dose steroid therapies). Here, we present two PCP cases with pleural effusion, following chemotherapy. The first case was a 44-year-old woman with breast cancer. Following chemotherapy, a thoracic computed tomography (CT) scan showed ground-glass appearance with mosaic signs bilaterally in the lower lobes, particularly in the left lung. Additionally, bilateral pleural effusion was observed predominantly in the left lung. The second case was a 54- year-old male with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. During chemotherapy, CT scan showed bilateral ground-glass appearance and left pleural effusion. Both cases led to PCP with pleural effusion. Patients were treated with trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. Improvement was achieved. While such conditions rarely occur, the application of prophylactic measures requires more attention to similar circumstances.