Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42245929›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in medicine2026

Atypical Legionella pneumophila encephalopathy lacking respiratory symptoms and radiographic lesions: A Case Report.

Weiwei Yan, Xi Wang, Kening Shi, Luye Wang

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Weiwei YanDepartment of Critical Care Medicine, Weifang People's Hospital, Weifang, Shandong Province, China.
Xi WangDepartment of Critical Care Medicine, Weifang People's Hospital, Weifang, Shandong Province, China.
Kening ShiDepartment of Critical Care Medicine, Weifang People's Hospital, Weifang, Shandong Province, China.
Luye WangDepartment of Critical Care Medicine, Weifang People's Hospital, Weifang, Shandong Province, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

This report details an unusual case of Legionella pneumophila encephalopathy in a 29-year-old male who presented with acute altered consciousness and extreme agitation, notably lacking any respiratory symptoms or typical meningeal signs. Extensive imaging, including chest CT and cranial MRI, revealed no pulmonary infiltrates or structural brain lesions. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis demonstrated an aseptic profile with elevated protein, and CSF metagenomic sequencing returned negative. The diagnostic dilemma was ultimately resolved using whole-blood targeted next-generation sequencing (tNGS), which detected Legionella sequences. The patient achieved a rapid and complete neurological recovery following a combined regimen of levofloxacin and high-dose glucocorticoids. This case underscores that Legionella infection can manifest as an isolated, toxin- and immune-mediated encephalopathy without preceding clinical pneumonia. It highlights the critical rescue value of early molecular screening (such as tNGS) in unexplained encephalopathy and supports the judicious use of early steroid intervention to halt the aseptic neurotoxic cascade.

Indexed as

atypical presentationencephalopathyglucocorticoidsLegionella pneumophilatargeted next-generation sequencing

Identifiers

PMID42245929
PMCPMC13229679

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.