Atypical Pneumonia: Updates on Legionella, Chlamydophila, and Mycoplasma Pneumonia

Lokesh Sharma; Ashley Losier; Thomas Tolbert; Charles S Dela Cruz; Chad R Marion

doi:10.1016/j.ccm.2016.11.011

Atypical Pneumonia: Updates on Legionella, Chlamydophila, and Mycoplasma Pneumonia

Clin Chest Med. 2017 Mar;38(1):45-58. doi: 10.1016/j.ccm.2016.11.011. Epub 2016 Dec 24.

Authors

Lokesh Sharma¹, Ashley Losier², Thomas Tolbert³, Charles S Dela Cruz¹, Chad R Marion⁴

Affiliations

¹ Section of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, 300 Cedar Street, TAC S440, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
² Department of Internal Medicine, Norwalk Hospital, 34 Maple Street, Norwalk, CT 06856, USA.
³ Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, 330 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
⁴ Section of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, 300 Cedar Street, TAC S440, New Haven, CT 06510, USA. Electronic address: chad.marion@yale.edu.

Abstract

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) has multiple causes and is associated with illness that requires admission to the hospital and mortality. The causes of atypical CAP include Legionella species, Chlamydophila, and Mycoplasma. Atypical CAP remains a diagnostic challenge and, therefore, likely is undertreated. This article reviews the advancements in the evaluation and treatment of patients and discusses current conflicts and controversies of atypical CAP.

Keywords: Chlamydophila; Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP); Legionella; Legionnaires’ disease; Mycoplasma; Pontiac fever; Walking pneumonia.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Chlamydophila / virology*
Community-Acquired Infections / diagnosis*
Community-Acquired Infections / pathology
Humans
Legionella / virology*
Pneumonia, Bacterial / diagnosis*
Pneumonia, Bacterial / pathology
Pneumonia, Mycoplasma / virology*

Grants and funding

R01 HL126094/HL/NHLBI NIH HHS/United States