[A case of severe Legionnaires' disease complicated by rhabdomyolysis, acute renal failure, liver dysfunction and encephalopathy]

Established association of legionella with rhabdomyolysis and renal failure: A review of the literature

Legionella causes 2–15% of community acquired pneumonia cases that require hospitalization and it is the second most common cause of serious pneumonia that needs admission in an intensive care unit. Since the first published case in 1980, there are a further 22 published case reports on the direct correlation between rhabdomyolysis, renal failure and Legionnaires' disease. All but two patients survived with antibiotics and dialysis. Clinicians should be cognisant of this established triad and correlation of Legionnaires’ disease, renal failure and rhabdomyolysis, as failure to do so and initiate treatment early has proven to increase mortality significantly in affected patients.

Evaluation and Treatment of Severe Rhabdomyolysis in a Patient with Legionnaires' Disease

A 53-year-old man with alcoholism and a three-day history of diarrhea and abdominal pain was hospitalized with mild acute kidney injury (AKI) and rhabdomyolysis after a fall where he was down for a short duration. Subsequent testing revealed patchy right lower lobe infiltrates on chest X-ray and a positive urinary Legionella antigen test. Creatinine phosphokinase (CPK) peaked at 85,780 U/L (normal 0-250) on hospital day two and remained markedly elevated for five days despite aggressive intravenous (IV) hydration and appropriate antibiotic treatment. When the patient defervesced and showed clinical signs of resolution of pneumonia, the CPK level declined rapidly, and renal function returned to baseline. Rhabdomyolysis with AKI is a rare but serious complication of Legionella pneumonia, with most patients requiring dialysis. Our patient’s complete recovery without renal replacement therapy can probably be attributed to his normal baseline renal function, timely diagnosis of his Legionella-associated rhabdomyolysis, and prompt treatment with aggressive IV hydration and appropriate antibiotics. Legionella infection should be considered in acutely ill patients with rhabdomyolysis of unclear etiology.

Extreme Rhabdomyolysis, Acute Renal Failure, and Protracted Ileus in a Case of Legionella Pneumonia

A 53-year-old man developed a Legionella pneumophila pneumonia complicated by rhabdomyolysis, acute kidney injury, and protracted ileus. Risk factors were smoking and chronic alcoholism, but the patient had no history of previous abdominal surgery. Hemodialysis was required for a period of 5 weeks with a full renal recovery. Pneumonia required respiratory support but for a limited period of 6 days. The protracted course of the ileus led to explorative laparotomy despite negative computed tomography findings. No cause of mechanical obstruction was found at surgery and common etiologies of intestinal obstruction were excluded. Parenteral nutrition was needed for a total of 4 weeks, before recovery of intestinal motility. This case illustrates the apparent discrepancy between the pulmonary symptoms and the extrapulmonary manifestations that could be seen as a consequence of an exaggerated immune response.

Legionnaires' Disease Complicated with Rhabdomyolysis and Acute Kidney Injury in an AIDS Patient

Objective

To present a case of an uncommon triad of Legionella pneumonia, rhabdomyolysis, and renal failure, with review of the relevant literature.

Case

A 51-year-old with a history of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and hypertension presented with fever, cough, and shortness of breath over four days. Chest X-ray showed consolidation in left lower lung field; urine was positive for Legionella antigen and myoglobin; creatine kinase was 51092U/L; creatine was 6.9 mg/dL, and his CD4 count was 41 cells/ul. He was managed with azithromycin and levofloxacin and further required dialysis and ventilatory support in the intensive care unit due to renal failure and respiratory failure. He responded well to the treatment and made a complete recovery. Legionella pneumophila infection is a recognized but rare cause of rhabdomyolysis with high morbidity and mortality when there is extrapulmonary involvement. Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment is essential to improve outcomes.

Conclusion

Physicians should consider Legionella pneumonia in patients with rhabdomyolysis, renal failure, and respiratory symptoms. Early diagnosis and treatment have been shown to have good clinical response. Timely intensive care management, together with early and judicious use of dialysis in patients complicated with rhabdomyolysis and renal failure, may lead to good outcomes.

Treatment strategies for Legionella infection

Given the nonspecific clinical manifestations of Legionnaires' disease and the high mortality of untreated Legionnaires' disease, we recommend routine use of Legionella testing, especially the Legionella urinary antigen test, for all patients with community-acquired pneumonia. This includes patients with ambulatory pneumonia and hospitalized children. Legionella cultures should be more widely available, especially in hospitals where the drinking water is colonized with Legionella. Azithromycin or levofloxacin can be considered as first-line therapy. Other antibiotics including tetracyclines, tigecycline, other fluoroquinolones and other macrolides (especially clarithromycin) are also effective. The clinical response of quinolones may be somewhat more favorable compared to macrolides, but the outcome is similar. If the Legionnaires' disease is hospital-acquired, culturing of the hospital drinking water for Legionella is indicated.

Pneumonie à Légionelle compliquée d'une insuffisance rénale aiguë par rhabdomyolyse : à propos d'un cas

The infectious origin of non-traumatic rhabdomyolysis is rare (5% of cases). An elevated muscle enzyme level is often reported in the legionnaire's disease. We report the case of a 39-year-old male, with no previous medical history, admitted for renal failure (creatininemia=977 micromol/l) secondary to rhabdomyolysis and a twelve-day history of infectious syndrome with pneumonia in the left base. Legionella pneumophila was considered responsible for these symptoms because of a positive serology. The other microbial assessments were negative. After rehydration and three weeks of antibiotics, the outcome was favorable: the renal failure resolved completely and the muscle enzyme level returned to normal.