[Pneumocystis carinii pneumopathy in patients with AIDS. The first 3 cases reported in Algeria and review of the literature].

Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) is a severe and dangerous infection which afflicts patients with immune deficiency, particularly those with AIDS. This pathology isn't well known in Algeria. The aim of the present study is a contribution to make this disease more known in the algerian AIDS patients. It has focused on the research and the identification of P. carinii in the expectorations and in the bronchalveolar lavage (BAL) fluids of 14 patients with respiratory troubles: 13 were AIDS cases and one with an iatrogenic immune deficiency. 3 of these patients were women and the rest were men. Their average age was 35.