Obstet Gynecol Sci.  2018 Nov;61(6):688-692. 10.5468/ogs.2018.61.6.688.

Challenging management of chorioamnionitis with placental listeriosis: lessons from 2 cases

• Park JH
• Ahn JH
• Seo KJ
• Choi SK
• Park IY
• Kim YH

• KMID: 2426013
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5468/ogs.2018.61.6.688

Abstract

Listeriosis is a rare foodborne infection caused by Listeria monocytogenes. It is 12-20 times more prevalent in pregnant women compared to the general population, with a 20-40% mortality rate in neonates. Early treatment with appropriate antimicrobial agents is critical for pregnancy outcomes; however, the infection is difficult to control because the nonspecific clinical manifestations and rarity of the disease often preclude early diagnosis. We encountered 2 cases of pregnancy-associated listeriosis that occurred at 29 and 37 weeks of gestation. Both neonates were delivered by emergent cesarean section due to fetal condition, and one of the preterm infants died immediately after birth. Pregnancy-associated listeriosis should be considered in the management of unexplained fever or inflammatory conditions in pregnant women.

Keyword

Listeriosis; Pregnancy; Management; Antimicrobials

MeSH Terms

Anti-Infective Agents
Cesarean Section
Chorioamnionitis*
Early Diagnosis
Female
Fever
Humans
Infant, Newborn
Infant, Premature
Listeria monocytogenes
Listeriosis*
Mortality
Parturition
Pregnancy
Pregnancy Outcome
Pregnant Women
Anti-Infective Agents

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 (A) Multiple abscess formation in the placental sections. The histological examination results show a necrotic area (B, original magnification ×12), the villus destroyed by the inflammation, and fibrinogen (C, original magnification ×200). The Brown & Brenn staining shows multiple bacilli. This confirms the presence of Listeria monocytogenes (D, original magnification ×1,000).

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