An unusual case of Nocardia cyriacigeorgica presenting with spinal abscesses in a renal transplant recipient and a review of the literature

Interstitial pneumonia combined with nocardia cyriacigeorgica infection: A case report

BACKGROUND

Nocardia infection is a relatively uncommon disease, with no reports among patients with interstitial pneumonia. Due to its atypical clinical symptoms and chest computed tomography (CT) findings and the frequent yielding of negative results by conventional cultures, it poses challenges for timely diagnosis and treatment.

CASE SUMMARY

A 63-year-old female patient presented to our hospital in July 2022 with a 3-mo history of intermittent cough and poor appetite, accompanied by a 2-wk long duration of headaches. She had a previous medical history of interstitial pneumonia and was on oral prednisone and cyclosporine. Chest CT revealed the presence of newly developed round nodules. The diagnosis of Nocardia cyriacigeorgica infection was confirmed through metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) performed on bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Targeted anti-infection therapy was initiated, resulting in symptom improvement and radiological resolution, further validating the mNGS results.

CONCLUSION

Nocardia cyriacigeorgica infection is a clinically rare condition that is primarily observed in immunocompromised patients. Its clinical and radiological manifestations lack specificity, but mNGS can aid in rapidly obtaining pathogenic information. Early initiation of targeted antimicrobial therapy based on mNGS results can improve patient prognosis.

Primary spinal infections in patients with solid organ transplant: a systematic literature review and illustrative case

BACKGROUND

Primary spinal infections (PSIs) are a group of uncommon but serious infectious diseases considered more prevalent and aggressive among patients with chronic immunocompromised states. Association of PSI and solid organ transplant has not been systematically analyzed. The authors performed a systematic review analyzing clinical presentation and mortality of patients with PSI in the setting of solid organ transplant.

OBSERVATIONS

PSIs in patients with immunosuppressive therapy, such as those with solid organ transplant, may behave differently in terms of epidemiology, clinical presentation, and outcomes compared with nonimmunosuppressed patients. Overall PSI in solid organ transplant patients is associated with a high rate of neurological compromise, postoperative complications, and mortality.

LESSONS

Accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment of PSI require a multidisciplinary effort. Localized pain is the most frequently reported symptom associated with PSI. As opposed to PSI in patients without transplant, inflammatory and infectious markers such as white blood cells and C-reactive protein are often not elevated. Furthermore, the causative microorganism profile varies significantly when compared to pyogenic spinal infection in patients without transplant. Aspergillus species was responsible for spondylodiscitis in transplant patients in more than 50% of cases, and the incidence of Aspergillus infection is projected to rise in the coming years.

Nocardia cyriacigeorgica infection in a patient with pulmonary sequestration: A case report

BACKGROUND

Nocardia cyriacigeorgica (N. cyriacigeorgica) infection is uncommon in clinical practice. Pulmonary sequestration complicated with N. cyriacigeorgica has not been reported in the literature. Here, we present a case of pulmonary se-questration complicated with N. cyriacigeorgica infection in an immunocom-petent woman.

CASE SUMMARY

A 37-year-old woman complaining of a recurrent cough was admitted to our hospital. Pulmonary sequestration in the lower lobe of the left lung was diagnosed by enhanced computed tomography. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was then collected, which showed gram positive bacilli with weakly positive modified acid-fast staining. The pathogen was identified as N. cyriacigeorgica after bacterial culture and mass spectrometry analysis. The patient was diagnosed with pulmonary sequestration complicated with N. cyriacigeorgica infection, and her symptoms quickly improved following anti-infective therapy.

CONCLUSION

Nocardiosis is considered to be an opportunistic infection. This is the first report of pulmonary sequestration complicated with N. cyriacigeorgica infection in a patient with normal immunity.

Update on Nocardia infections in solid-organ transplantation

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Nocardia is a ubiquitous pathogen associated with life-threatening opportunistic infections. Organ transplant recipients are uniquely predisposed to Nocardia infections due to their iatrogenic cell-mediated immune deficit necessary to maintain allograft function. This review aims to address recent updates in the epidemiology, clinical presentation, diagnostics, treatment, and outcomes of Nocardia infections in solid-organ transplant recipients.

RECENT FINDINGS

The incidence of Nocardia infection depends on multiple patient and environmental factors. Among transplant recipients, lung recipients are most commonly affected. Species identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing are critical for optimizing therapy as substantial variation occurs among and within Nocardia spp. This has been increasingly accomplished through advances in molecular methods leading to improved accuracy and wider accessibility to testing. There are emerging data applying novel therapeutics and short course therapy that may offer alternative management approaches for transplant associated nocardiosis to minimize drug toxicity and intolerance.

SUMMARY

Further prospective, multicenter studies are needed to better characterize the epidemiology of Nocardia in transplant recipients, as well as evaluate the impact of diagnostic advancements and new treatment strategies.

A clinical case report of brain abscess caused by Nocardia brasiliensis in a non-immunocompromised patient and a relevant literature review

Background

Brain abscess due to the Nocardia genus is rare and usually found in immunocompromised patients. The most common subtype implicated is Nocardia farcinica while brain abscess due to Nocardia brasiliensis is comparatively rare. Diagnosis of brain abscess is based mainly on bacteriological culture from pus collected at the site of infection, and brain imaging. Stereotaxic aspiration or surgical resection combined with adequate duration of treatment with antibiotics to which the bacteria are sensitive represent effective treatment strategies.

Case presentation

We report a rare case of brain abscess caused by Nocardia brasiliensis in a non-immunocompromised patient. He admitted to our hospital twice with a headache. Stereotaxic aspiration was performed at the patient’s first appointment at the hospital, and a craniotomy was used to excise the lesion during subsequent abscess recurrence.

Conclusion

Early diagnosis, reasonable surgical intervention, and adequate duration of treatment with effective antibiotics are critical for treating brain abscess.