Pneumocystis pneumonia transmission between patients with lymphoma

To the Editor:— Two patients with malignancy of the lymphoreticular system were hospitalized in adjacent beds. The first patient (case 1) hadPneumocystis cariniipneumonia of unknown source, and in the second patient (case 2) the condition developed after the patient was hospitalized. These cases add support to the concept of man to man transmission ofcariniiand suggest that the diagnosis be considered in patients with an altered immune response who show signs of pneumonia. Furthermore they suggest that a patient withcariniipneumonia be isolated from other susceptible patients. Pneumocystis cariniican cause pneumonia in patients with an altered immune response due to primary immunologic deficiency or malignancy of the lymphoreticular system and its treatment. Transmission between people has been reported in only a few instances.¹⁻⁶Two patients with malignancy of the lymphoreticular system treated with radiation therapy, steroids in large doses, and other chemotherapeutic agents had