Mycoplasma pneumoniae Infections and Primary Immune Deficiencies.

Mycoplasma pneumoniae ( M . pneumoniae ) is one of the leading causes of community-acquired pneumonia in children and is also implicated in a variety of reactive extrapulmonary diseases. Recurrent and/or severe respiratory infections are one of the most frequent manifestations of several types of primary immunodeficiency. Here, we reviewed the medical literature to assess the potential relevance of M . pneumoniae in the infections observed in children affected with combined, humoral, and innate primary immune deficiencies. M . pneumoniae does not result to be epidemiologically prevalent as a cause of pneumonia in children affected by primary immunodeficiencies, but this infection can have a persistent or severe course in this category of patients. Indeed, the active search of M . pneumoniae could be useful and appropriate especially in children with humoral immune deficiencies. Indeed, most cases of M . pneumoniae infection in primary immunodeficiencies are described in patients affected by a/hypo-gammaglobulinemia.