Legionella pneumophila pericarditis without pneumonia

Abstract

To our knowledge, Legionella pericarditis has been reported only four times in the literature and only once without pneumonia. We report the second case of nonpneumonic Legionella pericarditis in a man who eventually required pericardiectomy for constriction. Since Legionella endocarditis, myocarditis, and pericarditis have all been documented by culture or direct fluorescent antibody staining, it is important to be aware of the possibility of cardiac legionellosis.