Accelerated solute clearance in Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia.

A radioaerosol clearance test was used to detect lung injury in 12 patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia documented by bronchoscopy. The clearance of 99mTc-DTPA was elevated over most regions of interest in all of these patients. In each of 7 subjects who responded to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole therapy, clearance returned toward normal. Average clearances were either normal or very slightly above the 95% expected upper limit of normal in each of 6 patients with either AIDS or AIDS-related complex without clinical evidence of Pneumocystis infection. The radioaerosol diffusion test may prove useful for determining whether patients who are predisposed to this infection require bronchoscopy and may provide information concerning their response to therapy.