Resolution of innumerable cerebral Nocardia paucivorans abscesses after medical management

Nader Delavari; Khoi D Than; Kevin S Chen; Paul E McKeever; Anthony C Wang; Aditya S Pandey

doi:10.1016/j.jocn.2015.10.028

Resolution of innumerable cerebral Nocardia paucivorans abscesses after medical management

J Clin Neurosci. 2016 May:27:175-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jocn.2015.10.028. Epub 2016 Jan 4.

Authors

Nader Delavari¹, Khoi D Than¹, Kevin S Chen¹, Paul E McKeever¹, Anthony C Wang¹, Aditya S Pandey²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Neurosurgery, University of Michigan, 1500 E. Medical Center Drive, Room 3552 TC, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-5338, USA.
² Department of Neurosurgery, University of Michigan, 1500 E. Medical Center Drive, Room 3552 TC, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-5338, USA. Electronic address: adityap@med.umich.edu.

PMID: 26765763
DOI: 10.1016/j.jocn.2015.10.028

Abstract

Nocardia species are an infrequent cause of brain abscesses. We report a 50-year-old man with Nocardia paucivorans cerebral abscesses. Brain MRI revealed innumerable small ring-enhancing lesions. The patient initially responded to treatment with antibiotics and steroids, but experienced worsening after discontinuation of steroids. Brain biopsy performed to exclude central nervous system lymphoma produced nodular tissue with branching filaments on silver stain. Steroids were re-initiated and tapered slowly. The patient completed 1year of antibiotic therapy, after which he had no neurological symptoms and complete resolution of all brain abscesses on MRI.

Keywords: Brain abscess; Nocardia paucivorans; Nocardiosis.

Publication types

Case Reports

MeSH terms

Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use
Brain Abscess / drug therapy*
Brain Abscess / pathology
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Nocardia Infections / drug therapy*
Nocardia Infections / pathology
Nocardia*
Steroids / therapeutic use

Substances

Anti-Bacterial Agents
Steroids