Legionella endocarditis: A case report and review

BackgroundLegionella is a well known but infrequent cause of bacterial endocarditis.MethodsWe report a case of endocarditis caused by Legionella spp. We reviewed previously reported cases in PubMed, Google Scholar and in references included in previous reports, and summarized relevant clinical data.ResultsA 63-year-old man with a history of aortic valve replacement developed persistent fever and monoarthritis. Transesophageal echocardiography showed perivalvular abscess. He died during surgery. Blood and valve cultures were negative. Legionella spp. was demonstrated with 16S-rRNA PCR from the resected material. Twenty cases of Legionella endocarditis have been reported. Harboring a prosthetic valve was the main risk factor. Prognosis was favorable, both for patients treated with or without surgical valve replacement. Overall mortality was <10%.ConclusionsLegionella is an infrequent cause of endocarditis. It frequently requires surgical treatment. Prognosis is good. Molecular techniques are likely to become the gold standard for diagnosis.