BACKGROUND: Adult cancer patients are considered to be at an increased risk for Listeria monocytogenes infections, but, to the authors' knowledge, little information regarding this infection in the pediatric oncology population has been published. METHODS: The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center microbiology laboratory's database was searched for cases of Listeria monocytogenes infection during the period from January 1981 to December 1996, and thorough chart reviews of the cases identified in patients age < 21 years were performed. RESULTS: Listerial infections occurred in 5 children (3 with leukemia, 1 with lymphoma, and 1 with a brain tumor) among 20,612 admissions to the pediatric department during this period. All five children were actively receiving therapy for their malignancy, and two also were receiving other potentially immunosuppressive therapies. None was receiving co-trimoxazole prophylaxis. All were treated successfully for the Listeria monocytogenes infection with ampicillin and gentamicin (four patients) or ampicillin alone (one patient). At last follow-up two patients were long term, event-free survivors, two had died of their underlying malignancy, and one patient had died of cytomegalovirus pneumonitis. CONCLUSIONS: Listeria monocytogenes infections in pediatric oncology patients can be treated successfully with ampicillin-containing antibiotic regimens.
