Epidemiologic aspects of M. pneumoniae disease complications: a review

As early as the 1940s, erythema multiforme exudativum (Stevens-Johnson syndrome) and hemolytic anemia were associated with outbreaks of atypical pneumonia, a disease later found to be caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Epidemiologic evidence has also associated neurological complications, especially aseptic meningitis and meningoencephalitis, with M. pneumoniae infections. Urticarial and morbilliform skin rashes often appear late in the course of M. pneumoniae pneumonia. A multitude of other complications have been ascribed to M. pneumoniae infections, often reported as case reports diagnosed by serologic antibody titers only. More systematic investigations are needed to assess the frequency of complications to M. pneumoniae infections. Isolation of the agent, not only serologic titer rises, should be required before a syndrome is attributed to M. pneumoniae infection.