RESUMO
Nocardia is an aerobic Gram-positive bacterium found in the environment, including soil and water. Nocardia brasiliensis is reportedly associated with cutaneous infections, and disseminated disease is typically detected in immunocompromised individuals. We present a rare case of disseminated nocardiosis with N. brasiliensis in an immunocompetent patient. An 82-year-old male, who had a left elbow injury 2 months prior to the first visit, presented with bilateral multiple lung nodules. N. brasiliensis was identified in both sputum and pus specimens, we concluded that the N. brasiliensis had spread from the primary cutaneous lesion. The patient was treated with antibiotics and had a favourable clinical course. As the present case report demonstrates, disseminated nocardiosis caused by this species can progress from a primary cutaneous lesion even in immunocompetent individuals, if the initiation of appropriate treatment is delayed. Therefore, careful evaluation is warranted when Nocardia species are detected.
RESUMO
Bacteria of the genus Nocardia are implicated in several disease processes but are a rare cause of septic arthritis. Typically, the cause of Nocardia septic arthritis is dissemination from a pulmonary infection in an immunocompromised host. Herein we present a case of a 64-year-old male who had received a long course of prednisone for membranous nephropathy and developed a septic arthritis due to Nocardia brasiliensis. He was treated sequentially with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and amoxicillin-clavulanate, linezolid and amoxicillin-clavulanate, tigecycline and amoxicillin-clavulanate, and omadacycline and amoxicillin-clavulanate. To our knowledge, only two prior cases of Nocardia brasiliensis septic arthritis without antecedent trauma to the joint or local skin breakdown have been reported. A review of the literature identified 19 other cases of Nocardia septic arthritis. This case reinforces the need to consider Nocardia infection in the differential diagnosis in the immunocompromised patient with concurrent pulmonary infection and septic arthritis.
RESUMO
Here, we present a case of disseminated nocardiosis, involving pneumonia, percutaneous abscess, and bacteremia, in a 67-year-old Japanese woman. She had also been treated for rheumatoid arthritis with prednisolone, methotrexate, and tocilizumab (interleukin-6 receptor inhibitor). Based on the 16S rRNA sequence analysis and a blast search, we identified the isolate as Nocardia brasiliensis. We discontinued methotrexate and tocilizumab on admission, and administered intravenous antimicrobial combination therapy for 6 weeks, followed by oral trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole for 12 months, in total. Nocardia bacteremia is rare, often difficult to diagnose, and substantially fatal. However, due to our prompt diagnosis within one day of the onset of symptoms, and administration of appropriate treatment based on antimicrobial susceptibilities, this patient succeeded in surviving the infection. Not only microbiologists but also clinicians should be aware of the characteristic bacterial form of Gram/Kinyoun staining for early recognition of nocardiosis.