Legionellosis must be kept in mind in case of pneumonia with lung abscesses in children receiving therapeutic steroids

• Published in: Infection Vol. 39; no. 5; pp. 481 - 484
• Main Authors: Heine, S., Fuchs, A., von Müller, L., Krenn, T., Nemat, S., Graf, N., Simon, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer-Verlag 01-10-2011; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Anti-Bacterial Agents - therapeutic use; Antifungal Agents - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; Case Report; Child; Community-Acquired Infections - diagnosis; Community-Acquired Infections - drug therapy; Community-Acquired Infections - microbiology; Community-Acquired Infections - pathology; Diagnosis, Differential; Family Medicine; General Practice; Germany; Humans; Infectious Diseases; Internal Medicine; Legionella pneumophila - drug effects; Legionella pneumophila - isolation & purification; Legionnaire's disease; Legionnaires' Disease - diagnosis; Legionnaires' Disease - drug therapy; Legionnaires' Disease - microbiology; Legionnaires' Disease - pathology; Lung - microbiology; Lung - pathology; Lung Abscess - diagnosis; Lung Abscess - drug therapy; Lung Abscess - microbiology; Lung Abscess - pathology; Male; Medical sciences; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Miscellaneous; Pneumonia - diagnosis; Pneumonia - drug therapy; Pneumonia - microbiology; Pneumonia - pathology; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Steroids; Steroids - therapeutic use; Thrombocytopenia - drug therapy; Germany; Legionellosis; Children; Steroids; Infection; Nosocomial infection; Tissue; Pneumonia; Legionellaceae; Bacteria; Legionella; Hospital; Respiratory system; Hygiene
• ISSN: 0300-8126; 1439-0973
• DOI: 10.1007/s15010-011-0131-7

A 10-year-old boy, who had received recurrent short-course treatments with steroids to control severe autoimmune thrombocytopaenia, developed Legionnaires’ disease as community-acquired pneumonia.
Legionella pneumophila
pneumonia was complicated by an extended abscess of the right inferior lobe, leading to residual lung cavities. Legionellosis must be kept in mind as the differential diagnosis in the case of severe pneumonia and with lung abscesses in children receiving therapeutic steroids.
Legionella
-specific diagnostic tests (polymerase chain reaction [PCR] in respiratory samples or urine antigen assay) and, also, specific empirical antibiotic combination therapy are required for the early detection and treatment of
L. pneumophila
pneumonia in childhood.