Pulmonary Nocardiosis Caused by Nocardia concava with a Literature Review

Intern Med. 2016;55(9):1213-7. doi: 10.2169/internalmedicine.55.6228. Epub 2016 May 1.

Abstract

A 68-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with anorexia and leg pain. He was diagnosed with ANCA-associated vasculitis through a renal biopsy. Immunosuppression with two courses of steroid pulse therapies and intravenous cyclophosphamide followed by oral prednisolone at 40 mg/day were administered. About one month after starting the immunosuppression therapy, he complained of hemosputum. Chest computed tomography showed a cavitary lesion in the lung. Cultures from his sputum showed Nocardia species, and we were able to identify the species as N. concava using a 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. Only three detailed reports of N. concava infection have so far been published worldwide.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody-Associated Vasculitis / drug therapy
  • Humans
  • Immunocompromised Host*
  • Immunosuppressive Agents / therapeutic use
  • Lung / pathology
  • Male
  • Nocardia Infections / diagnosis*
  • Prednisolone
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
  • Sputum
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed / adverse effects

Substances

  • Immunosuppressive Agents
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
  • Prednisolone