BOF: 3
A 36-year-old paddy farmer presents with a history of
fever, headache, body aches and pains.He has just finished harvesting paddy
but has had no problems during previous harvests. He does not smoke or drink.
He is married and has 3 children who are well. He hasps an aviary where he
keeps and breeds parrots.
On examination he is febrile and tachycardic,
auscultation of the chest elicits scattered crepitations.
Chest X-ray shows patchy pulmonary infiltrates.
Haematology reveals mild leucopaenia .ESR is 78 mm in the 1st hour.
What is the likely diagnosis?
a)
Pneumococcal pneumonia
b)
Legionnaire’s disease
c)
Farmer’s ling
d)
Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia
e)
Psittacosis
Answer: e)
The clinical features point to an atypical pneumonia. The
clue is in the history of breeding parrots. The patient has psittacosis
(ornithosis, parrot fever, parrot disease)
This is an atypical pneumonia caused by the organism
Chlamydophila psittaci that may be contracted from parrots and other
birds.
Revision Tip
Revise pneumonia KEYS to SUCCESS
in Medicine page 205-208
