Giant cell pneumonia

Giant cell pneumonia: Also known as Hecht's pneumonia, this is a deadly but fortunately rare complication of measles. It tends to strike children who are immunodeficient as from leukemia or HIV/AIDS. The postmortem examination (autopsy) shows multinucleated giant cells lining the alveoli (air sacs) of the lungs. Named for the early 20th-century Austrian pathologist Victor Hecht. Common Misspellings: giant cell peumonia, giant cell pnemonia, giant cell pnuemonia, giant cell pnumonia