Legionnaire's Disease: Cardiac Manifestations

John L Brusch

doi:10.1016/j.idc.2016.10.006

Legionnaire's Disease: Cardiac Manifestations

Infect Dis Clin North Am. 2017 Mar;31(1):69-80. doi: 10.1016/j.idc.2016.10.006.

Author

John L Brusch¹

Affiliation

¹ Medical Department, Cambridge Health Alliance, 1493 Cambridge Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Division of Infectious Diseases, Cambridge Health Alliance, 1493 Cambridge Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Ambulatory Medicine, Cambridge Health Alliance, 1493 Cambridge Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Medicine, Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck Street, Boston, MA 02155, USA. Electronic address: jbrusch@challiance.org.

PMID: 28159176
DOI: 10.1016/j.idc.2016.10.006

Abstract

Most cardiac infections with Legionella are secondary to bacteremias arising from a pulmonary focus. Other possible sites of origin are infected sternotomy wounds or equipment contaminated by Legionella spp. Legionella endocarditis is truly a "stealth" infection, with almost no hallmarks of bacterial endocarditis. The key step in making the diagnosis of Legionella endocarditis is for the physician to be aware of the clinical causes of culture-negative infective endocarditis and to include Legionella cardiac involvement in this differential. Many times the issue of endocarditis arises only on examination of resected valvular material.

Keywords: Cardiac infections; Endocarditis; Legionella; Legionnaire's.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Bartonella Infections
Endocarditis, Bacterial*
Humans
Legionella*
Legionellosis*
Psittacosis
Q Fever