A clue for making the early diagnosis of PCP is serum β-D-gulcan (β-DG) and chest CT findings. Tasaka et al. reported the β-DG could be a serum indicator for the diagnosis of PCP with the cut-off value of 31 pg/ml [23, 24] . In our study, the sensitivity of β-DG in diagnosing PCP was 10/21 (47.6%) setting the cut-off value at 31 pg/ml. We suggest that testing β-DG is effective for diagnosis of PCP. In testing, BAL is also well known to be more sensitive than IS, as many physicians previously reported [23, 25] . In terms of a radiological approach, high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) should be performed if PCP is suspected. It is commonly known that chest CT shows ground glass appearance with a panlobular pattern or so-called crazy paving appearance in PCP patients [26, 27] . These findings are also found in viral pneumonias, mycoplasmal pneumonia, alveolar hemorrhage, methotrexate pneumonia, and others. However, where the patient's background and characteristics are conducive, the presence of PCP should be suspected. Conventional guidelines for CAP have recommended that clinical outcomes should be evaluated three days after initial therapy has been started [13, [28] [29] [30] [31] [32] [33] . In our study, 12 of the 13 (92.3%) patients who received accurate anti-PCP therapy within 3 days from initial visit were cured. Ten of the 12 (83.3%) patients received empiric therapy for PCP based on patient characteristics, laboratory data and radiological findings on HRCT. On the other hand, 7 of the 8 (87.5%) patients who received anti-PCP therapy that was initiated after day 4 died. PCP without HIV tends to develop acute respiratory failure and results in a more severe, acute form of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) than PCP with HIV. Thus, only three days of doctor's delay in starting PCP therapy could be fatal as our study showed.