Suspected Legionella-induced perimyocarditis in an adult in the absence of pneumonia: a rare clinical entity.

Legionella infection can manifest itself in many clinical forms, most commonly as pneumonia, but rarely in the form of myocardial involvement. Legionella with myocardial involvement independent of pneumonia is almost never seen in the adult population and therefore is cited only a handful of times in the medical literature. When reported, Legionella carditis itself typically occurs as an isolated pericarditis with effusion. Cases of isolated Legionella with myocardial involvement, but without associated pneumonia, have been reported among children. To our knowledge, there are no reported cases of Legionella myocarditis and pericarditis presenting concurrently with or without pneumonia, in either an adult or a pediatric population. Herein, we report a rare manifestation of Legionella pneumophila-induced perimyocarditis (strongly suspected, if not incontrovertibly proved) in an adult, in the absence of pneumonia.