[Bronchiolitis obliterans after mycoplasma pneumonia]

Mycoplasmal pneumonias belong to the class of atypical pneumonias. Generally, the histomorphological findings are non-specific; occasionally there are fibrotic pulmonary changes in consequence of partial recovery. In the case under report we present a 27-year old male patient who developed an almost total atelectasis of the right lung subsequent to an unspecific respiratory infection. Serologically his findings were characterised by an extremely elevated mycoplasmal titre so that we had to assume he was suffering from mycoplasmal pneumonia taking an unusual course. Since it was not possible to restitute the lung despite intensive therapeutic efforts, right-sided pneumonectomy had to be performed. Histological examination of the resectate resulted in diagnosing a bronchiolitis obliterans with partially complete obliteration of the bronchi down to subsegmental size. The case presented here must therefore be interpreted as a rare course of mycoplasmal pneumonia associated with the development of a massive atelectasis on an underlying bronchiolitis obliterans.