• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.79-84
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• 2002

Pulmonary nocardiosis is an infrequent but severe infection due to the microorganism, Nocardia spp, which may behave as both an opportunists and as a primary pathogens. Usually nocardiosis is found in patients under immunosuppressive regimens for organ transplans, chemotherapy for a malignancy and corticosteroids. The experience of pulmonary nocardiosis in the medical literature is limited to just case reports, with a few series including extrapulmonary nocardiosis. It is believed that the incidence of this infection has been increasing since 1960. The diagnosis is difficult because of the nonspecific clinical manifestations, the lack of laboratory evidence, and the non-specific radiographic findings. Here, we report a case of pulmonary nocardiasis in a 66 year-old patient with alcoholic liver cirrhosis who has suffered from acutely developed dyspnea and general edema. The nocardia species. was cultured from a specimen obtained by a percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.61-65
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• 2004

Even though nocardiosis is one of opportunistic infections, and can occur in Cushing's syndrome, it rarely occurs in patients with Cushing's disease. Herein, a case with Cushing's disease in whom nocardiosis had manifested as a pulmonary lesion, which after percutaneous needle aspiration, empyema and a breast abscess were also noted.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.169-173
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• 1995

Nocardia, aerobic members of the order of Actinomycetaceae, produces infections in human lung. Nocardial infection is associated with underlying diseases of immuno-suppression or treatment with corticosteroid. It is difficult to detect Nocardia by sputum examination or histologic sections and it has rarely been diagnosed by fine needle aspiration of the lung. We describe a case of pulmonary nocardiosis in a 72 year-old man, diagnosed by fine needle aspiration, which was confirmed by culture of aspirates. The aspirates showed neutrophil-predominant inflammatory cells with microorganisms demonstrated by Gomori methenamine silver and Gram stain. The organisms had characteristic long blanching filamentous structures. The lesions on chest X-ray were in resolution with antimicrobial therapy.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.50-54
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• 2013

Nocardiosis is an uncommon Gram-positive bacterial infection caused by aerobic actinomycetes in the genus Nocardia. Nocardia spp. have the ability to cause localized or systemic suppurative disease in humans and animals. Nocardiosis is typically regarded as an opportunistic infection, but approximately one-third of infected patients are immunocompetent. We report a rare case of pulmonary nocardiosis and a brain abscess caused by Nocardia asteroides in an elderly woman with a history of Crohn's disease. Radiographic imaging revealed a contrast-enhancing lesion with perilesional parenchymal edema that was preoperatively thought to be a neoplasm. The patient experienced aggressive disease progression simulating a metastatic brain tumor. Early diagnosis of norcadiosis, the absence of underlying disease, and the administration of appropriate antibiotics has a positive impact on prognosis. Familiarity with the magnetic resonance and computed tomography findings associated with CNS nocardiosis, such as those presented here, is essential for making an early diagnosis.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.305-307
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• 2011

We describe here the first case of a concurrent brain abscess caused by Norcardia spp. and semi-invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in an immunocompetent patient. After one year of appropriate antimicrobial therapy and surgical drainage of the brain abscess, the nocardia brain abscess and pulmonary aspergillosis have resolved.

• The Korean Journal of Medicine
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• v.99 no.1
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• pp.50-56
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• 2024

Nocardiosis is uncommon. Immunocompromising conditions predispose individuals to pulmonary and disseminated nocardiosis of the brain, skin, and subcutaneous tissues. The most common pathogens are Nocardia cyriacigeorgica, Nocardia nova, and Nocardia farcinica. The speciation of Nocardia to determine antimicrobial susceptibility is difficult using traditional biochemical methods. Here, we report the case of a 73-year-old man with chronic obstructive lung disease who developed a rapidly progressing intramuscular abscess around the left hip and thigh. Within 3 days, the lesions progressed to an epidural abscess at the L4 to S1 level. Although he was treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics and extensive incision and drainage, he died of rapidly progressive respiratory failure. Nocardia abscessus (N. abscessus) was identified in pus samples using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). This case shows that the diagnosis of an intramuscular abscess caused by N. abscessus is challenging and that using MALDI-TOF MS may facilitate the diagnosis and ensure appropriate treatment.