PRIMARY ATYPICAL PNEUMONIA OF UNKNOWN CAUSE, WITH UNUSUAL MANIFESTATIONS AND COMPLICATIONS

Abstract

The growing volume of reports¹ concerning primary atypical pneumonia attests to the interest in this condition. It is not a contagious disease, but it does occur in epidemic form, which may account for the actual increase in the number of cases. Furthermore, the attention which has been focused on the disease has revealed cases that otherwise might have been overlooked. It is noteworthy that the 150 cases of pneumonia² which form the basis of this report were derived from a total of 180 cases of pneumonia of all types encountered at an army station hospital from Sept. 1, 1942 to June 1, 1943. In view of our clinical experience, five sixths seems to be a high proportion of unclassifiable pneumonia, which may in part be due to the younger age group of the patients. Among these 150 cases certain unusual manifestations appeared, as follows: meningismus in 3 cases,