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Trop Med Infect Dis 2019 Feb 12;4(1). Epub 2019 Feb 12.

Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Texas Health, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA.

Strongyloidiasis, due to infection with the nematode , affects millions of people in the tropics and subtropics. has a unique auto-infective lifecycle such that it can persist in the human host for decades. In immunosuppressed patients, especially those on corticosteroids, potentially fatal disseminated strongyloidiasis can occur, often with concurrent secondary infections. Read More

Eur J Case Rep Intern Med 2019 3;6(1):000997. Epub 2019 Jan 3.

Unidade Funcional de Medicina 2.1, Hospital de Santo António dos Capuchos, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Central, Lisbon, Portugal.

Immunosuppressed patients are at greater risk of unusual infections. The authors present the case of a woman with giant-cell arteritis, on oral steroids, who developed cavitating pneumonia due to co-infection with and . Reports of such co-infection are rare in the literature. Read More

Intern Med 2019 Feb 1. Epub 2019 Feb 1.

Department of Respiratory Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan.

We report a case of Nocardia exalbida (N.exalbida)-induced pneumonia in a 70-year old Japanese man with lung cancer and radiation pneumonitis. He initially received doripenem (1. Read More

Indian J Pathol Microbiol 2019 Jan-Mar;62(1):153-155

Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.

Pulmonary nocardiosis is an uncommon bacterial infection that may lead to severe disease in immunocompromised patients. The disease is rare in immunocompetent patients. Reported cases are few, and the literature is limited because disease recognition is difficult. Read More

Pediatr Pulmonol 2019 Jan 31. Epub 2019 Jan 31.

Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatric Infectious Disease, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey.

Nocardia spp is a gram-positive aerobic filamentous bacteria that causes pulmonary and systemic infections, especially in patients with immunosuppression or chronic lung diseases. It is rarely reported in children with cystic fibrosis. Macrophage activation syndrome is a life-threatening disease with an excessive inflammatory response usually triggered by infections. Read More

J Infect Public Health 2019 Jan 28. Epub 2019 Jan 28.

Department of Microbiology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India.

Nocardia asteroides complex and Nocardia brasiliensis are common etiological agents of disseminated nocardiosis among immunocompromised individuals. Here we reported an uncommon case of disseminated nocardiosis with the involvement of lung, brain, soft tissue & pancreas by a rarely isolated species Nocardia asiatica in a HIV infected individual. Diagnosis was initially misinterpreted as tuberculosis based on the clinical and radiological findings. Read More

Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis 2018 Dec 29. Epub 2018 Dec 29.

Laboratory of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China. Electronic address:

Nocardia spp. is a pathogen responsible for a variety of clinical infections, ranging from skin and soft tissue infections, to the respiratory tract and central nervous system infections. Its epidemiological characteristics, including species distribution, clinical features, and antimicrobial susceptibility profiles, should be under surveillance for the prevention and treatment of nocardiosis. Read More

Infect Dis Rep 2018 Nov 12;10(3):7804. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Maluk Timor, Dili, Timor- Leste.

Mycetoma is a neglected tropical disease with an unknown global burden. Although considered endemic to South-east Asia, it has not previously been reported from Timor-Lest. We describe two cases in Timor-Leste, highlighting the challenges surrounding microbiological diagnosis and management shared by many low to middle-income countries. Read More

Int J Infect Dis 2019 Jan 15. Epub 2019 Jan 15.

Center for Infectious Diseases and Infection Control, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany.

Background: Pulmonary nocardiosis (PN) is an uncommon but potentially life-threatening infection. Most of our knowledge is derived from case reports or smaller case series. Recently, increasing PN incidence rates have been reported. Read More

Br J Dermatol 2019 Jan 18. Epub 2019 Jan 18.

Université de Sherbrooke, Medical microbiology and infectious diseases department, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada.

Ustekinumab is one of the newer biologic agents on the market, and most clinical experience associated with this agent has been accumulated with the treatment of psoriasis. It exerts its effect through IL-12/IL-23p40 antagonism. This immune signaling pathway is associated with Mendelian Susceptibility to Mycobacterial Disease, a genetic condition predisposing to opportunistic infections with mycobacteria and other select organisms. Read More

BMJ Case Rep 2019 Jan 10;12(1). Epub 2019 Jan 10.

Pediatric Pulmonology Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Centro Hospitalar São João EPE, Porto, Portugal.

The authors report a case of a lung abscess caused by sp. in a previously healthy adolescent. A 17-year-old young man presented with tonsillitis that did not respond to β-lactamic antibiotic, dyspnoea and thoracic pain. Read More

BMC Vet Res 2019 Jan 3;15(1). Epub 2019 Jan 3.

Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.

Background: Nocardiosis is often a multi-systemic disease in humans and other mammals. Nocardiosis in birds is uncommon. Laboratory identification of Nocardia to the species level is difficult by traditional phenotypic methods based on biochemical reactions and hydrolysis tests, and is most accurately performed by sequencing multiple gene targets. Read More

Can J Infect Dis Med Microbiol 2018 19;2018:2910198. Epub 2018 Nov 19.

Department of Theoretical and Applied Biology, College of Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a major cause of human mortality particularly in association with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). spp. has emerged as an opportunistic infection especially in HIV patients. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2018 Dec;97(49):e13541

Department of Spine Surgery.

Rationale: Nocardial spinal epidural abscess is rare. The diagnosis is often difficult to make and, if delayed, poses a high risk of long-term disability. Nocardial spinal epidural abscess with severe lumbar disc herniation has not previously been reported. Read More

Cureus 2018 Oct 8;10(10):e3427. Epub 2018 Oct 8.

Infectious Disease, Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine - Marshall University, Huntington, USA.

Disseminated Nocardia infections are a rare occurrence that typically occur in immunocompromised hosts. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a hematologic malignancy which makes patients susceptible to infections through various mechanisms. The treatments for CLL also target immunologic pathways which can contribute to infections. Read More

PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2018 12 10;12(12):e0007019. Epub 2018 Dec 10.

The Mycetoma Research Centre, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan.

Mycetoma is a neglected tropical disease endemic in tropical and subtropical countries, particularly Sudan. The disease is characterised by the triad of painless subcutaneous mass, multiple sinuses and discharge that contain grains. It is a chronic, debilitating disease most commonly affecting the feet or hands and leads to substantial morbidity, loss of function and even amputation. Read More

Respirol Case Rep 2019 Feb 28;7(2):e00392. Epub 2018 Nov 28.

Department of Respiratory Medicine National Center for Global Health and Medicine Tokyo Japan.

Bronchial thermoplasty (BT) is a bronchoscopic treatment for severe asthma. A 35-year-old woman with uncontrolled severe asthma despite maximal pharmacological treatment underwent BT and started coughing after the first procedure. One month later, during the second BT procedure, there were white ulcerous lesions on the right B9 bronchus. Read More

Pathology 2018 Dec 25;50(7):753-757. Epub 2018 Oct 25.

SA Pathology, Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Adelaide, SA, Australia.

Mass spectrometry plays a significant role in the routine identification of micro-organisms and provides the ability to incorporate newly found pathogens into the database in a cost-effective fashion. This work aims to highlight the role of mass spectrometry through improved identification of Nocardia species in a diagnostic clinical microbiology laboratory. Prior to this study we constructed a custom in-house matrix-assisted laser desorption ionisation-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) library for Nocardia isolates consisting of isolates identified to the species level. Read More

Arch Argent Pediatr 2018 Dec;116(6):e744-e748

Servicio de Infectología, Hospital de Niños Sor María Ludovica.

Chronic granulomatous disease is an uncommon primary immunodeficiency due to a defect of the killing activity of phagocytes, caused by mutations in any of the genes encoding subunits of the superoxide-generating phagocyte NADPH oxidase system. The incidence is 1 in 250 000 live births. It can occur from infancy to adulthood, usually in children under 2 years. Read More

JMM Case Rep 2018 Sep 10;5(9):e005133. Epub 2018 Jan 10.

Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.

Introduction: are Gram-positive partially acid-fast bacilli capable of inducing a wide range of infections in patients with immunodeficiency, AIDS, cancer, lupus erythematous and diabetes. was first isolated in 2001 from a patient with chronic bronchitis. Since then, there have been reports on the clinical significance of this organism in patients with bronchitis, brain abscess and lung diseases. Read More

Transpl Infect Dis 2019 Feb 27;21(1):e13025. Epub 2018 Nov 27.

Institute of Human Virology and Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.

Nocardia species represent a well-recognized yet uncommon cause of opportunistic infections in humans. It most frequently presents as a pulmonary infection with or without central nervous system involvement. It is a very rare cause of spinal abscesses, with only 26 cases reported in the literature. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2018 Oct;97(43):e13023

Rationale: Nocardia species is known as conditional pathogenic bacteria. Among Nocardia species, pulmonary infection caused by Nocardia cyriacigeorgica associated with Aspergillus fumigatus complex lung disease is rarely reported.

Patient Concerns: A 55-year-old female with a history of productive cough with recurrent expectoration for 20 years presented with increasing cough for 12 months. Read More

Med Mal Infect 2018 Dec 28;48(8):516-525. Epub 2018 Jun 28.

Service de médecine interne, centre hospitalier d'Agen-Nérac, route de Villeneuve, 47923 Agen cedex 9, France. Electronic address:

Objectives: To describe the epidemiological, clinical, microbiological, and therapeutic characteristics of Nocardiosis patients treated in a general hospital.

Patients And Methods: Monocentric retrospective analysis of patients presenting with Nocardia-positive biological sample from January 1, 1998 to May 1, 2017.

Results: We identified nine cases of Nocardia infections. Read More

J Glob Antimicrob Resist 2018 Dec 6;15:219-221. Epub 2018 Jul 6.

Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan.

Objectives: Nocardiosis is an opportunistic infection that can present as cutaneous, pulmonary and/or disseminated disease depending on the host immunity. Treatment choices include trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (co-trimoxazole; SXT) and imipenem along with some other antibiotics. The Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) recommends the broth microdilution (BMD) method to determine antimicrobial susceptibility, however there is a lack of susceptibility data using this method in Pakistan. Read More

Saudi J Kidney Dis Transpl 2018 Sep-Oct;29(5):1207-1210

5th Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Evangelismos Hospital, Athens, Greece.

Cutaneous nocardiosis is an infrequent infection which has been increasingly reported in immunocompromised patients. Although trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole is considered to be the agent of choice for treatment of nocardiosis, newer antimicrobials such as tigecycline have been proven to be effective in vitro, as well. We report the first case of primary cutaneous nocardiosis in a renal transplant recipient having corresponded well to treatment with tigecycline. Read More

Pan Afr Med J 2018;30:131. Epub 2018 Jun 14.

Military Hospital of Instruction Mohammed V, Department of Dermatology, Rabat, Morocco.

Dermatol Ther 2019 Jan 19;32(1):e12775. Epub 2018 Nov 19.

Department of Dermatology and Laboratory Medicine, Gachon University Gil Medical Center, Incheon, South Korea.

Nocardiosis is a rare localized or systemic suppurative disease caused by the actinomycete Nocardia species. The respiratory tract is the most common site of infection, but primary cutaneous nocardiosis can also be induced by direct inoculation. Nocardiosis is usually reported in immunocompromised patients, such as those with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, autoimmune diseases, cancer, or in those who have had organ transplantation or corticosteroid administration. Read More

Clin Lab 2018 Oct;64(10):1769-1772

Background: We report a case of a primary cutaneous nocardiosis by autochthonous Nocardia brasiliensis in a Spanish immunocompetent 9-year-old boy.

Methods: N. brasiliensis caused cellulitis showing the patient recovery after drainage and treatment with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Read More

BMJ Case Rep 2018 Oct 12;2018. Epub 2018 Oct 12.

Department of Internal Medicine, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA.

Nocardiosis is caused by various species of and typically occurs as an opportunistic infection. It frequently disseminates, most often involving the lungs, subcutaneous tissues and central nervous system. It has rarely been reported to affect native heart valves. Read More

BMC Clin Pathol 2018 1;18. Epub 2018 Oct 1.

3Department of Nephrology and Renal Transplantation Medicine, Grande International Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal.

Background: The cutaneous nocardiosis remains a diagnostic challenge: similar clinical presentations as of cutaneous diseases with different etiology-and the inherent difficulty in cultivating the pathogen.

Case Presentation: Herein, we describe a case of primary cutaneous nocardiosis in a renal transplant recipient; treated with anti-tubercular drugs due to misdiagnosis of cutaneous tuberculosis. On clinical examinations, a few red erythematous papules with erosions and crusting seen, over prior surgery scar of renal transplant. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2018 Oct;97(40):e12436

Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Michigan Healthcare System.

Nocardia is a ubiquitous environmental pathogen that causes infection primarily following inhalation into the lungs. It is generally thought to cause infection primarily in immunocompromised patients, but nonimmunocompromised individuals are also at risk of infection. We sought to compare risk factors, clinical manifestations, diagnostic approach, treatment, and mortality in immunocompromised and nonimmunocompromised adults with nocardiosis. Read More

Pract Neurol 2019 Feb 21;19(1):62-63. Epub 2018 Sep 21.

Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis Treatment and Research, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA

This case report is of a septuagenarian man on chronic low-dose prednisone who presented with disseminated nocardiosis () that was initially mistaken for metastatic brain cancer. Neurologists should be aware of the potential for opportunistic infections with steroid use and to consider a definite tissue diagnosis with culture and histopathology prior to treatment. Read More

Ther Clin Risk Manag 2018 10;14:1661-1664. Epub 2018 Sep 10.

Department of Dermatology, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400042, China,

Introduction: Primary cutaneous nocardiosis is a rare suppurative or granulomatous inflammation disease caused by infection. Because of nonspecific clinical findings, it is always misdiagnosed as common pyogenic infection. Sulfonamides have been the standard treatment for nocardiosis, but the outcome is always poor due to the high rates of misdiagnosis and refractoriness of the disease. Read More

Cornea 2018 Dec;37(12):1590-1592

Cornea, Cataract, and Refractive Surgery Services, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.

Purpose: To report an unusual case of isolated Acremonium eumycetoma presenting as a protuberant mass over the cornea.

Methods: Case report and literature review.

Results: A 55-year-old male patient referred to our center with a case of perforated corneal ulcer with uveal tissue prolapse was examined in the casualty department and found to have central melt, approximately 8 mm, along with suspected uveal tissue prolapse. Read More

Iran J Med Sci 2018 Sep;43(5):560-563

Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.

are Gram-positive, filamentous, aerobic, relatively slow-growing, and weakly acid-fast bacteria which cause nocardiosis in humans. We describe a 53-year-old patient with chronic bronchitis referred to Al-Zahra Hospital, Isfahan. A bronchial washing sample was taken from the patient. Read More

Intern Med 2018 Sep 12. Epub 2018 Sep 12.

Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology and Respiratory Medicine, Shimane University Faculty of Medicine, Japan.

Infect Disord Drug Targets 2018 Sep 12. Epub 2018 Sep 12.

Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taibah, University. Saudi Arabia.

Background: Infections caused by nocardiae are rare, but misguided to clinicians, especially if there is a delay in the diagnosis and/or low response to chemotherapy. The incidence of nocardiosis is increasing constantly worldwide, and the situation is getting worse if we consider immunocompromised individuals, such as HIV positive patients since they are at higher risk. Surgical amputation, although not common, but should be considered as a result in some cases that cause partial disability. Read More

BMC Ophthalmol 2018 Sep 3;18(1):234. Epub 2018 Sep 3.

Departments of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, People's Republic of China.

Background: Nocardia infection is uncommon in clinical practice, with most cases occuring as the result of opportunistic infection in immunocompromsed patients. Here, we report a case of disseminated nocardiosis with subretinal abscess in a patient with nephrotic syndrome, and whom is receiving immunosuppressive therapy.

Case Presentation: A 58-year-old male presented with decreased vision in his left eye, without redness or floaters, which had persisted for three days. Read More

J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 2018 Jul;108(4):334-339

Mycetoma cases are predominantly found in tropical regions and are a rare finding in the United States. These masses that are fungal or bacterial in origin can result in significant destruction of soft tissue and bone. We present a case of a patient who emigrated from Mexico to Indianapolis. Read More

BMJ Case Rep 2018 Aug 27;2018. Epub 2018 Aug 27.

Department of Orthopaedics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.

BMC Pulm Med 2018 Aug 22;18(1):142. Epub 2018 Aug 22.

Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan.

Background: Pulmonary nocardiosis frequently develops as an opportunistic infection in cell-mediated immunosuppressive patients, and sometimes requires differentiation from pulmonary malignancy. Ectopic adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) syndrome (EAS) is a neoplastic disorder which leads to impaired cell-mediated immunity, and is commonly associated with small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Because pulmonary infection and causative malignancy can appear as pulmonary lesions with EAS, differentiation of these diseases remains a critical issue for physicians. Read More

J Fish Dis 2018 Dec 21;41(12):1921-1927. Epub 2018 Aug 21.

Department of Aquatic Life Medicine, College of Fisheries Science, Pukyong National University, Busan, Korea.

J Fish Dis 2018 Nov 17;41(11):1745-1750. Epub 2018 Aug 17.

Pathology Division, National Institute of Fisheries Science (NIFS), Busan, South Korea.

Mass mortality occurred at an Anguilla japonica eel farm equipped with a recirculating aquaculture system in Gimcheon, Korea, from late spring to early summer 2015. The cumulative 3-month mortality was 16% (approximately 24,300-150,000 fish). The majority of affected fish displayed ulcerative lesions that progressed to petechial haemorrhages and small white granulomas in the major organs. Read More

Microbiologyopen 2018 Aug 16:e00656. Epub 2018 Aug 16.

ChunLab Inc., Seoul, Korea.

Members of the genus Nocardia are widespread in diverse environments; a wide range of Nocardia species are known to cause nocardiosis in several animals, including cat, dog, fish, and humans. Of the pathogenic Nocardia species, N. seriolae is known to cause disease in cultured fish, resulting in major economic loss. Read More

IDCases 2018 4;13:e00422. Epub 2018 Jul 4.

Department of Microbiology, Hospital Virgen de las Nieves, Avda. de las Fuerzas Armadas, s/n, 18014, Granada, Spain.

brain abscesses are unusual in humans. Sixteen cases of this infection have been reported in the world medical literature. There is precise clinical information available from nine patients. Read More

Ocul Immunol Inflamm 2018 Aug 10:1-3. Epub 2018 Aug 10.

a Department of Ophthalmology and Optometry , Medical University of Innsbruck , Innsbruck , Austria.

Purpose: To describe the challenging diagnosis of ocular nocardiosis in a patient with anaplastic astrocytoma Methods: A 56-year-old patient with recurrent cerebral anaplastic astrocytoma and a history of surgical resection, who underwent radiotherapy and chemotherapy, presented with a unilateral white subretinal mass at the posterior pole of his left eye. Vitrectomy and fine-needle biopsy of the vitreous as well as the subretinal mass were performed.

Results: Magnetic resonance imaging verified progression of the lesion's size at follow-up. Read More

Intern Med J 2018 Aug 8. Epub 2018 Aug 8.

Department of Infectious Diseases, Alfred Health, 50 Commercial Rd, Melbourne, 3004, Victoria, Australia.

Background: Nocardiosis has historically been reported in immunocompromised patients, but Australian epidemiological and antimicrobial susceptibility data are limited.

Aims: To describe the epidemiology, diagnosis and initial treatment of nocardiosis in an Australian tertiary hospital over 7 years.

Methods: In this retrospective study, all positive cultures for Nocardia species from any site isolated at the Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, between January 1 2010 and December 31 2016 were identified, and corresponding laboratory data and medical records reviewed. Read More

Open Forum Infect Dis 2018 Jul 15;5(7):ofy141. Epub 2018 Jun 15.

Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Internal Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tennessee Medical Center Knoxville, Knoxville, Tennessee.

Adrenal abscesses due to disseminated nocardiosis are exceedingly rare in clinical practice, and to date only 8 cases have been reported in the literature, most of which were confined to a single adrenal gland. These infections often occur in patients with underlying immune deficiency. We report a rare case of bilateral nocardial adrenal abscesses in an intravenous drug-using splenectomized patient that presumably originated from direct inoculation using intravenous opana, as his admission chest radiograph was normal. Read More

Int J Infect Dis 2018 Oct 24;75:1-7. Epub 2018 Jul 24.

ID-FISH Technology, Palo Alto, CA, USA. Electronic address:

Objective: In resource-limited tuberculosis-endemic countries, Mycobacterium tuberculosis in sputum is mainly detected by acid-fast bacillus (AFB) staining and the identification of sputum-derived cultures. PCR techniques are practical only in well-resourced laboratories. This study investigated the application of a rapid, simple, and inexpensive fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) assay to identify and differentiate M. Read More