Two cases of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia occurred in human immunodeficiency virus infected patients: supplemental treatment with aerosolised pentamidine isethionate.

Two cases of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia occurred in human immunodeficiency virus infected patients who were diagnosed by the aspiration-lung-biopsy. They were treated with 4 mg/kg of pentamidine isethionate intravenously administered followed by pentamidine aerosol inhalation. Although clinical and laboratory findings were improved by the fifth or seventh day of intravenous therapy, substantial leukocytopenia, from 3,000/cmm to 600/cmm and from 2,700/cmm to 1,000/cmm, occurred. At this point, the method of pentamidine administration was switched to inhalation. Pentamidine 600 mg in 30 ml distilled water was aerosolised using ultrasonic nebuliser and exposed for a 30-minute period once daily. In both cases, chest x-rays showed improvements: The disappearance of P. carinii were obtained in two weeks. Mild coughing was the sole adverse reaction encountered during the course of aerosol inhalation.