[Pneumocystosis in Venezuelan patients: epidemiology and diagnosis (2001-2006)]

The objective of this work was to investigate the epidemiology of pneumocystosis in Venezuelan patients utilizing a retrospective study during a six year period. One hundred and twenty nine clinical samples collected from patients with AIDS, cancer and non-AIDS-non-cancer low respiratory tract infection patients were processed by direct immunofluorescence technique. Pneumocystosis was diagnosed in 30 patients with a general frequency of 23.3%, which varied according to the patient's group: 36.6% in AIDS patients, 38% in cancer patients, and 10.4% in non-AIDS-non-cancer low respiratory tract infection patients. This study demonstrated the existence of differences in pneumocystosis frequency related to the patient's underlying disease, and that the illness is an important health problem in immunocompromised patients in Venezuela. Pneumocystosis must be suspected in non-immunocompromised patients with signs and symptoms of low respiratory tract infection, and the study of this illness must include COPD and cancer patients. Direct immunofluorescence is a useful technique for pneumocystosis diagnosis, however, it requires an optimal sample and skilled personnel in the laboratory.