Case Report: A Severe and Multi-Site Nocardia farcinica Infection Rapidly and Precisely Identified by Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing

Mengfan Jiao; Xiang Deng; Hongfu Yang; Junqiang Dong; Jun Lv; Fang Li

doi:10.3389/fmed.2021.669552

Case Report: A Severe and Multi-Site Nocardia farcinica Infection Rapidly and Precisely Identified by Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing

Front Med (Lausanne). 2021 May 24:8:669552. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2021.669552. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Mengfan Jiao^{1

2}, Xiang Deng³, Hongfu Yang⁴, Junqiang Dong⁵, Jun Lv¹, Fang Li³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.
² Precision Medicine Center, Gene Hospital of Henan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.
³ Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.
⁴ Department of Integrated Intensive Care Unit, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.
⁵ Department of Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.

Abstract

Nocardia genus is an aerobic, gram-positive, and opportunistic pathogen, which mainly affects cell-mediated immunosuppressed patients. Early diagnosis and treatment greatly improve prognosis. However, the limitation of golden standard-bacterial culture exists. Here, we report a 61-year-old male with pneumonia, sepsis and intermuscular abscesses induced by Nocardia farcinica. Venous blood culture reported negative results. Former improper diagnosis and treatment did not improve his condition. With the assistant of metagenomic next-generation sequencing, the pathogen was identified as Nocardia farcinica. He was then applied with accurate treatment and had a remarkable clinical and radiological improvement.

Keywords: Nocardia; case report; infectious disease; metagenomics next-generation sequencing; precise treatment.

Publication types

Case Reports