Musculoskeletal infections associated with species: a case series.

: is an uncommon pathogen that has been reported to infect musculoskeletal structures. However, studies are largely limited to case reports, and little is known regarding management and outcomes of these infections. : We performed a multicenter retrospective cohort study of adults with culture-confirmed musculoskeletal infections at three Mayo Clinic centers in Arizona, Florida, and Minnesota from November 2011 through April 2022. : Nine cases of musculoskeletal infection were identified. Seven (78 %) occurred in men, and the median age was 57.3 years (range 32.6-79.0). Specific infections included native joint septic arthritis with or without associated osteomyelitis ( ), hardware-associated infection ( ), sternal osteomyelitis ( ), pyomyositis ( ), bursitis ( ), and tenosynovitis ( ). Three cases (33 %) were associated with disseminated disease, all three occurring in solid organ transplant recipients. Surgical intervention was performed in all but the bursitis case. Length of treatment varied from 21 d for tenosynovitis to 467 d for osteomyelitis. The 1-year mortality was 22 %, and all fatal cases involved disseminated disease. : Patients with localized nocardiosis affecting musculoskeletal structures generally have good outcomes, as opposed to those with disseminated infection. Management often required operative intervention, with one patient experiencing recurrence within 1 year.