A patient with pulmonary alveolar proteinosis may experience an opportunistic pneumonia.
The infection may either precede or follow the diagnosis of pulmonary alveolar proteinosis.
Risk factors:
(1) immunodeficiency (adenosine deaminase deficiency, other)
(2) immunosuppression (autoimmune disease, transplant recipient)
(3) defects in macrophage and/or granulocyte function
Infections may be due to:
(1) Nocardia species
(2) Actinomycosis
(3) Aspergillus
(4) Pneumocystis carinii (PCP)
(5) cytomegalovirus (CMV)
(6) Histoplasma capsulatum
(7) Mycobacterium species (tuberculosis and nontuberculous)
