A Case Series and Focused Review of Nocardiosis
Top Cited Papers
- 1 September 2004
- journal article
- case report
- Published by Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health) in Medicine
- Vol. 83 (5), 300-313
- https://doi.org/10.1097/01.md.0000141100.30871.39
Abstract
Nocardia species are ubiquitous soil organisms that often infect patients with underlying immune compromise, pulmonary disease, or a history of surgery or trauma. We report 5 cases of nocardiosis representing various aspects of this "great imitator": 1) pneumonia in the setting of underlying malignancy, 2) chronic pneumonia with drug-resistant organism, 3) bacteremia and empyema with chronic hematologic malignancy, 4) primary cutaneous disease, and 5) sternal wound infection. We present a summary of the English literature from 1966 to 2003 with a focus on the teaching points of each of our 5 cases as well as the background epidemiology and microbiology of the Nocardia genus. Isolation of the organism may be achieved with routine media but longer incubation times may be necessary, delaying diagnosis and appropriate therapy. Treatment with a sulfa-containing regimen is standard of care, but resistance testing is warranted given emerging drug resistance, high rates of discontinuation due to adverse reactions, and the potential for nephrotoxicity in transplant recipients on cyclosporine.Keywords
This publication has 86 references indexed in Scilit:
- Central Venous Catheter-Associated Nocardia Bacteremia: An Unusual Manifestation of NocardiosisClinical Infectious Diseases, 2000
- Pulmonary and Disseminated NocardiosisNew England Journal of Medicine, 1999
- Nocardial Infections in Bone Marrow Transplant RecipientsClinical Infectious Diseases, 1996
- Adrenal insufficiency, recurrent bacteremia, and disseminated abscesses caused by Nocardia asteroides in a patient with acquired immunodeficiency syndromeDiagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease, 1996
- Review of nocardial infections in France 1987 to 1990European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases, 1992
- Mediastinitis due toNocardia asteroides after cardiac transplantationIntensive Care Medicine, 1992
- Nocardial Infections in Renal Transplant RecipientsMedicine, 1989
- Primary lymphocutaneous Nocardia brasiliensis infection: Three case reports and a review of the literatureDiagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease, 1988
- Susceptibility testing of nocardia species for the clinical laboratoryDiagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease, 1988
- Infectious Diseases in Hospitalized Renal Transplant RecipientsMedicine, 1982