A double whammy in an immunocompromised patient

Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP) is a common opportunistic infection in immunocompromised patients, especially those with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) pneumonia most often occurs as a coinfection with another opportunistic pathogen especially in patients with severe immunosuppression. We present a case of PCP-CMV coinfection in a newly diagnosed HIV patient who was treated with the recommended therapy for both diseases and had a favorable outcome. The presence of CMV in the context of another opportunistic respiratory tract infection is often to be not treated, due to conflicting evidence of its therapeutic benefit. Our report highlights the importance of CMV treatment to achieve clinical stability and recovery in newly diagnosed patients with HIV and severely immuno-compromised status.