Chlamydia psittaci infection-associated acute fibrinous and organizing pneumonitis: A case report
Xianhua Gui,
Xiaohua Qiu,
Yujuan Gao,
Tingting Chen,
Yuying Qiu,
Jia Liu,
Yonglong Xiao
Affiliations
Xianhua Gui
Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210008, China
Xiaohua Qiu
Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210008, China
Yujuan Gao
Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210008, China
Tingting Chen
Department of Pathology, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210008, China
Yuying Qiu
Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210008, China
Jia Liu
Dinfectome Inc., Nanjing, Jiangsu 210000, China
Yonglong Xiao
Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210008, China; Corresponding author.
Acute fibrinous and organizing pneumonia (AFOP) is a rare type of lung injury, and while Chlamydia psittaci pneumonia is a zoonotic disease, secondary AFOP has not been previously reported. We present a 53-year-old female with a 13-day history of cough, fever, and shortness of breath. High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) showed multiple bilateral patchy shadows and consolidations in the left lung lower lobe. Empirical treatment was ineffective, and lung lesions worsened. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) confirmed Chlamydia psittaci infection. After minocycline treatment, the patient’s fever improved, but shortness of breath persisted. CT-guided lung biopsy revealed “fibrin balls” in the alveolar space and interstitial inflammatory infiltrates. Shortness of breath improved after glucocorticoid therapy, with significant lesion absorption noted on follow-up chest CT. This case suggests a possible association between AFOP and C. psittaci infection, supporting the use of combined antibiotic and glucocorticoid therapy.
