interstitial plasma cell pneumonia
A doctor examines a chest X-ray showing signs of interstitial plasma cell pneumonia.
Noun: A specific type of pneumonia, characterized by inflammation and fluid in the lungs' interstitial spaces (the tissue between the air sacs), with the presence of plasma cells (a type of white blood cell). It primarily affects infants or individuals with severely weakened immune systems, such as those with AIDS.
This is a highly specific medical term. It is used in clinical, diagnostic, and pathological contexts to identify a particular disease entity. * The biopsy confirmed a diagnosis of interstitial plasma cell pneumonia. * Interstitial plasma cell pneumonia is a common opportunistic infection in untreated HIV patients. * Prophylactic treatment is often administered to prevent interstitial plasma cell pneumonia in vulnerable populations.
The term is often associated with the causative agent, the fungus Pneumocystis jirovecii. In modern medical nomenclature, this condition is more precisely called Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) or Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia. * While historically termed interstitial plasma cell pneumonia, the infection is now almost universally referred to as PCP.
- Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) (n): The modern and more common term for this condition.
- Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (n): The most precise term, specifying the causative organism.
- Opportunistic infection (n): A category of infections, including this one, that take advantage of a weak immune system.
- Pneumocystis pneumonia
- PCP (acronym)
- pneumonia (older term, now less accurate)
This term describes both the anatomical location of the disease (interstitial), a key histological feature (plasma cell infiltration), and the clinical condition (pneumonia). Its usage has declined in favor of the aetiology-based name (Pneumocystis pneumonia).
A doctor examines a chest X-ray showing signs of interstitial plasma cell pneumonia.
- pneumonia occurring in infants or in persons with impaired immune systems (as AIDS victims)