Severe acute lung injury caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae: potential role for steroid pulses in treatment

Abstract

Published evidence of pathogenetic mechanisms of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in mycoplasmal lung infections suggests that the pulmonary injury is related to a cell-mediated immune response. Therefore, steroids may play a role in the treatment of severe cases. We describe a patient who had Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia that progressed to severe ARDS requiring mechanical ventilation and who had improvement with prednisolone pulses.