Supplementary Information

Microscopic appearance of Pneumocystis jiroveci from bronchial washings

The dark structures visible in this micrograph, stained by a modification of the Ziehl Neelsen method, are cysts of Pneumocystis jiroveci, formerly known as Pneumocystis carinii. Until recently, this organism was considered to be a protozoan but molecular biological studies have now demonstrated thta it is a highly unusual fungus. It causes a bilateral pneumonia in patients with AIDS.

Sexually transmissible diseases: AIDS