The symptoms are generally mild and appear over a period of 1 to 3 weeks. They may become more severe in some people.

Common symptoms include the following:

• Chest pain
• Chills
• Cough, usually dry and not bloody
• Excessive sweating
• Fever (may be high)
• Headache
• Sore throat

Less common symptoms include:

• Ear pain
• Eye pain or soreness
• Muscle aches and joint stiffness
• Neck lump
• Rapid breathing
• Skin lesions or rash

Persons with suspected pneumonia should have a complete medical evaluation, including a thorough physical exam and a chest x-ray -- especially because the physical exam may not always be able to tell pneumonia apart from acute bronchitis or other respiratory infections.

Depending on the severity of illness, other tests may be done, including:

• Complete blood count (CBC)
• Blood cultures
• Blood tests for antibodies to mycoplasma
• Bronchoscopy
• CT scan of the chest
• Open lung biopsy (only done in very serious illnesses when the diagnosis cannot be made from other sources)
• Sputum culture to check for mycoplasma bacteria

A urine test or a throat swab may also be done.

Images

Exfoliation following erythroderma

Lungs

Erythema multiforme, target lesions on the palm

Erythema multiforme on the leg

Respiratory system

Erythema multiforme, circular lesions - hands

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Mycoplasma pneumonia Overview

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Mycoplasma pneumonia Treatment

Review Date: 09/15/2010
Reviewed By: Denis Hadijiliadis, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)