Pneumonia in the immunocompromised pediatric cancer patient.

Infectious complications including pneumonia remain a major obstacle to survival in children with cancer. Pulmonary infections usually arise from aspiration of pathogens from the upper airways or from hematogenous spread. Pathogens include bacteria, Pneumocystis carinii, viruses, and fungi. In this article, we review in detail the pathogenic basis, evaluation, and management of pneumonia in the immunocompromised pediatric cancer patient.