[A clinical study of 50 cases of Legionnaires disease]

The clinical features and X-ray manifestations of 50 cases of legionnaires disease were analysed. 8 cases might be due to nosocomial infection through breathing in flying particles of the saliva or phlegm. According to the main clinical features, this disease could be divided into common pneumonia type; acute gastroenteritis type; encephalopathy type; shock type; acute renal insufficiency type. The differential diagnosis of legionnaires disease with mycoplasmal pneumonia, pneumococcal pneumonia and infiltrative pulmonary tuberculosis was also discussed. The first choice for treatment is erythromycin or erythromycin with rifampicin.