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Legionella endocarditis: A case report and review
Andrea Teira1, Juan Sánchez1, Ignacio Santiago1
1Service of Cardiology, Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, Santander, Cantabria, Spain.
Enfermedades Infecciosas Y Microbiologia Clinica (English Ed.)
|December 30, 2020
Summary
Legionella endocarditis is rare but serious, often affecting prosthetic heart valves. Early diagnosis with molecular methods and prompt treatment, potentially including surgery, leads to a good prognosis.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Cardiology
- Microbiology
Background:
- Legionella species are an uncommon cause of bacterial endocarditis.
- Endocarditis is an infection of the heart's inner lining, often involving the valves.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report a case of Legionella endocarditis.
- To review and summarize clinical data from previously reported cases of Legionella endocarditis.
Main Methods:
- Case report of a patient with Legionella endocarditis.
- Systematic literature review of PubMed, Google Scholar, and reference lists.
- Clinical data summarization and analysis.
Main Results:
- A patient with a prosthetic aortic valve developed endocarditis caused by Legionella, diagnosed via 16S-rRNA PCR.
- Prosthetic valve presence was the primary risk factor in 20 reported cases.
- Overall mortality was less than 10%, with favorable outcomes regardless of surgical intervention.
Conclusions:
- Legionella is a rare cause of endocarditis, frequently necessitating surgical valve replacement.
- Molecular diagnostic techniques are crucial and likely to become the standard for identifying Legionella endocarditis.
- The prognosis for Legionella endocarditis is generally good with appropriate management.
