Pneumonia is an infection of lung parenchyma caused by a variety of pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. One type of bacteria includes Chlamydia species. These species consist of C. pneumoniae, C. psittaci, and C. trachomatis, which are obligate intracellular bacterial pathogens. They frequently infect the respiratory tract in humans.
Most of the respiratory tract infections (about 70%) caused by C. pneumoniae are asymptomatic or only with mild symptoms, but a minority (30%) of them are responsible for more severe respiratory illnesses such as community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) with atypical symptoms, bronchitis and upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs). In addition, C. pneumoniae is involved not only in respiratory infections but also in the pathogenesis of multiple inflammatory conditions including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, lung cancer, neurological disorders such as Alzheimer disease, multiple sclerosis, and schizophrenia as well as atherosclerosis and arthritis. Thus, the clinician must be able to promptly recognize, evaluate, and treat this condition to avoid its complications.
The following activity will provide an overview of the etiology, clinical features, evaluation, and approach to the management of a patient with chlamydial pneumonia.
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