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Heart and Lung Involvement Detected by Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging in a Patient with Legionella Pneumophila Infection: Case Report

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Abstract

Myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA) represents a working diagnosis with heterogeneous etiology. Here we describe the diagnostic work-up in a patient with MINOCA in which cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging was instrumental in identifying myocarditis as the likely cause underlying clinical presentation. Furthermore, CMR revealed an unnoticed lung consolidation, guiding further examinations that led to Legionella Pneumophila antigens detection in urine. Finally, a diagnosis of Legionnaire’s disease with heart and lung involvement was hypothesized. We discuss the key role of CMR in MINOCA diagnostic work-up as well as the importance of extra-cardiac findings, which in this case were essential to unravel an uncommon and possibly overlooked cause of myocarditis.

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Author notes

  1. These authors contributed equally: Giovanni Camastra, Federica Ciolina, Gerardo ansalone, Stefano Sbarbati.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cardiology Unit, Madre Giuseppina Vannini Hospital, Via di Acqua Bullicante 4, 00177, Rome, Italy

    Giovanni Camastra, Luca Arcari, Salvatore Musarò, Luca Cacciotti & Gerardo Ansalone

  2. Radiology Unit, Madre Giuseppina Vannini Hospital, Rome, Italy

    Federica Ciolina, Massimiliano Danti & Stefano Sbarbati

Authors
  1. Giovanni Camastra
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  2. Federica Ciolina
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  3. Luca Arcari
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  4. Massimiliano Danti
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  5. Salvatore Musarò
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  6. Luca Cacciotti
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  7. Stefano Sbarbati
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  8. Gerardo Ansalone
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Contributions

Performed imaging tests (GC, FC, MD), involved in the care of the patient (all authors), literature search (GC, FC, LA), wrote the draft of the manuscript (GC, FC, LA), and provided critical revision and approved the final version of the manuscript (all authors).

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Luca Arcari.

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The patient provided written informed consent to the use of data for research purposes.

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Written informed consent was obtained from the patient for the publication of this case report and accompanying images.

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Camastra, G., Ciolina, F., Arcari, L. et al. Heart and Lung Involvement Detected by Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging in a Patient with Legionella Pneumophila Infection: Case Report. SN Compr. Clin. Med. 3, 1955–1959 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42399-021-00890-8

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