Relationship between Complications of Mycoplasma Pneumonia and Titers of Cold Agglutinin and Mycoplasma Antibody in Children

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To assess the relationship between the complications of mycoplasma pneumonia and titers of cold agglutinin and mycoplasma antibody in children. METHODS: 120 cases of mycoplasmal pneumonia in children who were admitted to the Pediatric Department of Kwangju Christian Hospital between June 1993 and May 1994 were analyzed. RESULTS: 1) The peak incidence of age was between 2 and 6 years, and the sex ratio of boy to girl was 1 1.1. 2) Chest X-ray examinations revealed that the most common type of pneumonia was bronchopneumonia(51 cases, 42.5%); unilateral involvement was common(60.8%); and the lower lobe was the most commonly involved(50 cases, 41.6%). 3) Pulmonary complications were sinusitis in 43 cases(35.8%), followed by atelectasis in 24, pleural effusion in 18, asthma in 15, pharyngitis in 9, laryngitis in 4 and Swyer- James syndrome in 1 case. 4) Extrapulmonary complications were hepatitis in 12 cases, proteinuria in 7, hematuria in 5, convulsion in 3, psychosis in 3 and nephrotic syndrome, encephalitis and disseminated intravascular coagulation in 1 each. 5) No significant relationships were found between the duration of pneumonia and cold agglutinin titer, and between the duration of pneumonia and mycoplasma antibody titer(p>0.05). 6) The occurrence rate of the complications was not related to cold agglutinin titer(r=0.291); but it was significantly related to mycoplasma antibody titer(r=0.764), i.e., the higher the mycoplasma antibody titer, the higher incidence of complications. CONCLUSIONS: The occurrence rate of complications of mycoplasma pneumonia was not related to cold agglutinin titer, but it was significantly correlated with mycoplasma antibody titer.