Introduction:

Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PcP) is one of the most common diseases among HIV / AIDS patients, causing great morbidity and mortality. Radiology plays a fundamental role in its presumptive diagnosis.

Objective:

Describe the radiological findings of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia in a series of Cuban deceased HIV / AIDS patients and relate them to the patients' immune status.

Methods:

A study was conducted of a series of 69 deceased AIDS patients with PcP at Pedro Kourí Tropical Medicine Institute from January 1996 to January 2014. PcP diagnosis was confirmed through anatomopathological studies based on observation of structures compatible with the fungus.

Results:

Of the 69 study cases, 57 (82.6%) presented alterations in their chest radiographs. Of these, 44 (77.2%) and 13 (22.8%) followed a typical and atypical radiological pattern, respectively. In 12 deceased patients (17.4%) chest radiography was normal. In 76.8% of the cases, levels of T CD4+ lymphocytes were below 200 cell/ml. The relationship between the radiological pattern and the immune status of the deceased patients analyzed was not significant.

Conclusions:

The radiological findings described for Cuban deceased AIDS patients with PcP are similar to those reported in the international literature. However, PcP diagnosis should not be excluded in patients with normal chest radiographs or atypical patterns who present a clinical status suggestive of the disease.

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