Médecine pulmonaire et respiratoire

Psittacosis Causing Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)

Abstract

Tânia Freitas Raso, Vivian Lindmayer Ferreira, Bil Randerson Bassetti, Jaques Sztajnbok, Zarifa Khoury, Rodrigo Delfino Nascimento and Marcos Vinicius da Silva

Chlamydia psittaci is the causative agent of psittacosis. The illness varies from a mild disease to a fatal systemic illness. In recent years the role of C. psittaci causing atypical pneumonia has become more appreciated. Here we present a severe psittacosis case resulting in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in a woman which had contact with a pet cockatiel. Chest computed tomography scan demonstrated extensive air-space disease interspersed by airbronchograms in the dependend portions of both lower lobes. Focal areas of consolidation were also observed in the middle and superior lobes. The diagnosis was suggested on the basis of epidemiologic criteria of exposure to birds and confirmed by a serological test revealing high titers of IgG by MIF assay. In these cases psittacosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis.