Placental Findings of Listeria Monocytogenes Infection in Twin Pregnancy: A Case Report.
- Author:
Dong Hoon SHIN
;
Dong Eun SONG
;
Kyu Rae KIM
- Publication Type:Case Report
- Keywords:
Listeria monocytogenes;
Placenta;
Infection
- MeSH:
Abscess;
Adult;
Female;
Heart Failure;
Humans;
Listeria monocytogenes*;
Listeria*;
Mothers;
Myocarditis;
Placenta;
Pregnancy;
Pregnancy, Twin*;
Sepsis
- From:Korean Journal of Pathology
2007;41(2):119-122
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
A Listeria monocytogenes infection is relatively rare in healthy adults. However, the chance of an infection increases almost 17 times in pregnancy due to changes in the immune function. A Listeria monocytogenes infection results in characteristic gross and microscopic features in the placenta, including multiple yellowish nodules showing microscopic intervillous abscess and intervillositis. We describe the placental findings of a Listeria monocytogenes infection that was complicated by maternal sepsis, myocarditis and congestive heart failure. The infection was discovered in the 34th week of a twin gestation in a 28 year-old woman. This case should emphasize the importance of this condition to pathologists. Antibiotic treatment was started based on the placental histologic findings before a maternal blood culture confirmed growth of Listeria monocytogenes. Both the mother and twin babies were healthy at the time of this report.
