Resumen de Severe Pneumonia Caused by Legionella pneumophila: Differential Diagnosis and Therapeutic Considerations

Abdullah Chahin, Steven M. Opal

• Severe legionella pneumonia poses a diagnostic challenge and requires early intervention. Legionnaire's disease can have several presenting signs, symptoms, and laboratory abnormalities that suggest that Legionella pneumophila is the pathogen, but none of these are sufficient to distinguish L pneumophila pneumonia from other respiratory pathogens. L pneumophila is primarily an intracellular pathogen and needs treatment with antibiotics that efficiently enter the intracellular space.