The Diagnosis of Legionella pneumophila Serogroup 5 Bacteremic Pneumonia during Severe Neutropenia Using Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification

A 60-year-old man developed pneumonia after undergoing autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation for diffuse large-B cell lymphoma. A urinary antigen test and sputum culture were both negative for Legionella pneumophila; however, a sputum sample that was examined by loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) was positive for Legionella spp. On admission, the results of blood culturing using a BACTEC system were negative for 7 days. However, L. pneumophila serogroup 5 was detected in a blood subculture using WYOα medium. The patient was successfully treated with a fluoroquinolone-based regimen. LAMP is useful for the diagnosis of Legionella spp.