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Optimized PCR-based Detection of Mycoplasma
06:01

Optimized PCR-based Detection of Mycoplasma

Published on: June 20, 2011

Mycoplasma pneumoniae pericarditis demonstrated by polymerase chain reaction and electron microscopy

Maria Szymanski1, Martin Petric, Frederick E Saunders

  • 1Division of Microbiology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1X8.

Clinical Infectious Diseases : an Official Publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America
|December 4, 2001
PubMed

Insights

A teenage bone marrow transplant recipient developed pericarditis. Mycoplasma pneumoniae was identified as the cause in the pericardial fluid, suggesting a link between this infection and post-transplant cardiac complications.

Area of Science:

  • Infectious Diseases
  • Cardiology
  • Transplantation Immunology

Background:

  • Bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is a complex procedure with potential complications.
  • Pericarditis, inflammation of the sac surrounding the heart, can occur post-transplant.
  • Identifying the specific etiology of post-BMT pericarditis is crucial for effective management.

Observation:

  • A 17-year-old female patient developed pericarditis following a bone marrow transplant.
  • Pericardial fluid was collected for etiological investigation.
  • The patient had no other identifiable infectious agents in the pericardial fluid.

Findings:

  • Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) confirmed the presence of Mycoplasma pneumoniae in the pericardial fluid.
  • Electron microscopy revealed Mycoplasma-like organisms within the pericardial fluid.
  • No other pathogens were detected, implicating M. pneumoniae.

Implications:

  • Mycoplasma pneumoniae can be an etiological agent of pericarditis in bone marrow transplant recipients.
  • This case highlights the importance of considering atypical pathogens in post-transplant infections.
  • Further research is warranted to understand the pathogenesis and incidence of M. pneumoniae-associated pericarditis post-BMT.

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