From the Journals

A Persistent Cough and an Unexplained Diagnosis

NEJM case details the diagnostic evaluation of an 80-year-old woman with weeks of respiratory symptoms, weight loss, and diffuse ground-glass opacities on chest CT.

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An 80-year-old woman developed advanced HIV-1 infection, presenting with cough, weight loss, and hypoxemia. Initially treated for community-acquired pneumonia, her symptoms worsened, revealing ground-glass opacities on CT. Subsequent testing confirmed Pneumocystis jirovecii and cryptococcal pneumonia. Treatment included high-dose trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and fluconazole, leading to favorable outcomes. This case highlights the critical need for HIV screening in older adults, as many present with advanced disease due to underdiagnosis.

Original Source(s)

A Persistent Cough and an Unexplained Diagnosis

NEJM case details the diagnostic evaluation of an 80-year-old woman with weeks of respiratory symptoms, weight loss, and diffuse ground-glass opacities on chest CT.

  • by Olivia Anderson

  • February 2, 2026

  • 3 min

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