Successful management of Listeria monocytogenes pericarditis: case report and review of the literature

Listeria monocytogenes, although an uncommon cause of illness in the general population, is feared principally because of the morbidity and mortality associated with CNS infections. Cardiovascular involvement with L. monocytogenes is very rare, and has been limited to endocarditis. We describe a case of Listeria pericarditis, which occurred in a 60-year-old man with Child-Pugh B cirrhosis who presented to the emergency department with asthenia, anorexia, and respiratory distress. The echocardiogram showed severe pericardial eff usion and after pericardiocentesis, L. monocytogenes was isolated in the culture of pericardial fl uid. After surgical pericardiectomy with draining of the pericardial eff usion and antibiotic treatment with ampicillin, the patient experienced a slow, but full recovery. Documentation of L. monocytogenes pericarditis is an extremely rare entity with very scarce reports in medical literature, and is usually associated with a very poor prognosis. A case report is presented together with a review of the literature.