Severe pneumonia caused by Chlamydia pneumoniae in a patient treated with steroids for bronchial asthma

: A case of bilateral severe pneumonia caused by Chlamydia pneumoniae has been described in a female patient with bronchial asthma. Both the clinical course and massive radiological changes, as-well as the fact that pneumonia occurred during the patients hospitalization and the treatment with, among other drugs, prednisone lead to the presumptive diagnosis of hospital acquired pneumonia or tuberculosis. The instituted therapy turned out ineffective. Only when Chlamydia pneumoniae was found in the culture infected by the material from the patient, the appropriate diagnosis could be made. The erythromycin therapy was prescribed which soon resulted in remission od clinical and radiological symptoms.