Molecular Diagnosis of Pneumocystis jirovecii Pneumonia by Use of Oral Wash Samples in Immunocompromised Patients: Usefulness and Importance of the DNA Target

Abstract

Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) is an important cause of pneumonia in the HIV-negative immunocompromised population, for whom the fungal load is low, the differential diagnosis is difficult, and a bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) sample is often not readily available. Molecular techniques have improved the microbiological diagnosis in this scenario.