Rothia aeria pneumonia in an immunocompetent patient: A novel case study

An 80‐year‐old woman with no lung disease or autoimmune disease presented with a productive cough, lasting for 2 months. Chest computed tomography revealed a transbronchial dispersal shadow in the left upper lobe, and sputum culture showed Gram‐positive rods. The identified causative organism was Rothia aeria, and thus, she was treated with oral trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (TMP–SMX). Eleven days after initiating TMP–SMX treatment, she returned with a complaint of dyspnoea. While the sputum culture revealed normal flora, the patient's condition was diagnosed as bronchitis during R. aeria pneumonia treatment; therefore, she was hospitalized. Five days after admission, her laboratory findings revealed agranulocytosis, caused by an adverse event of TMP–SMX. Her neutrophil count increased after discontinuing TMP–SMX treatment. Bronchitis was alleviated with intravenous antibiotic administration, and she was discharged on Day 8. We report a rare case of R. aeria pneumonia in an immunocompetent patient.