Description of five nonimmunized children with pertussis and pulmonary complications aged from 21 days to 2 1/12 years, admitted to our hospital from 1996 to 1999.
Diagnosis of Pertussis was confirmed by serological tests with high antibody titers against Bordetella pertussis.
Clinical symptoms, pulmonary interstitial changes and final outcome were different in all five children.
Course of pulmonary disease showed variation from mild with favorable outcome to serious one with persistent bronchopulmonary changes as a complication.
Secondary bacterial pneumonia with other etiology was observed in 2 of patients, one of them with a parapneumonic effusion.
Bronchiolitis obliterans with permanent functional and morphological changes was a sequel in one child
Encephalopathy manifested with seizures was observed in 2 patients.
Reported cases of pertussis in 5 nonimmunized children illustrate typical pulmonary interstitial changes and variations in clinical features and X-ray appearance of pulmonary complications.