AI Article Synopsis

  • Nocardiosis is a rare but serious infection caused by a gram-positive bacillus, mostly affecting immunocompromised patients.
  • A case study of a 67-year-old veteran with lung cancer undergoing chemotherapy revealed new lung lesions and positive sputum culture for nocardiosis.
  • The infection led to central nervous system complications, underscoring the need for quick diagnosis and treatment due to its high mortality rate.

Article Abstract

Nocardiosis is caused by various strains of the genus a gram-positive, acid-fast bacillus found in organic matter. Disseminated nocardiosis with central nervous system involvement is a rare infection that is most commonly seen in immunocompromised patients. We present a case of a 67-year-old veteran with stage IV adenocarcinoma of the lung undergoing chemotherapy who presented with new cavitary pulmonary lesions. Three weeks into his hospitalization, a sputum culture with acid-fast staining returned positive for . A subsequent computed tomography scan of the head demonstrated numerous rim-enhancing lesions presumed to be due to disseminated nocardiosis with central nervous system involvement. Disseminated nocardiosis has a high mortality rate, making prompt detection and treatment paramount for these patients. Our case highlights the importance of considering central nervous system involvement in the evaluation of a patient with nocardiosis.

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Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9196824PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08998280.2022.2058831DOI Listing

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