Fatal Mycoplasma Pneumoniae Infection: Case Report and Review of the Literature

BMycoplasma pneumoniae (M. pneumoniae) infection is rarely fatal in young adults. Most patients have no symptoms or mild nonspecific symptoms or signs with infection. Up to 310% infected people may develop pneumonia. We herein report a fatal case of M. pneumoniae infection presenting with acute respiratory failure and brain death in a 27 year old female. Autopsy revealed that diffuse alveolar damage in the lungs and acute hemorrhagic leukoencephalopathy (AHLE), a hyperacute form of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) in the brain. [N A J Med Sci. 2012;5(2):126-130.]