Nocardia species are aerobic, gram positive filamentous branching bacteria that have the potential to cause localized or disseminated infection. Nocardiosis is a rare disease that usually affects immunocompromised patients and presents as either pulmonary, cutaneous or disseminated nocardiosis. Forty-two year-old hispanic male presented to our care with bilateral lower extremity weakness, frontal headache, subjective fever, nausea, and vomiting. Brain computed tomography (CT) revealed multiple hyperdense lesions with vasogenic edema in the frontal, parietal and left temporal lobes. Chest CT demonstrated bilateral cavitary nodules in the lung and right hilar lymphadenopathy. Brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed multiple bilateral supratentorial and infratentorial rim enhancing lesions involving the subcortical gray-white matter interface with vasogenic edema. Patient was started on empiric therapy for unknown infectious etiology with no response. He eventually expired and autopsy findings revealed a right hilar lung abscess and multiple brain abscesses. Microscopic and culture findings from tissue sample during autopsy revealed nocardia wallacei species with multidrug resistance. The cause of death was stated as systemic nocadiosis (nocardia pneumonitis and encephalitis). The presence of simultaneous lung and brain abscesses is a reliable indication of an underlying Nocardia infection. An increased awareness of the various presentations of nocardiosis and a high index of clinical suspicion can help in a rapid diagnosis and improve survival in an otherwise fatal disease. This case highlights the importance of obtaining a tissue biopsy for definitive diagnosis on the initial presentation when an infectious process is considered in the differential diagnosis and early treatment can be initiated.

Platelets store more than 20 growth factors in their granules. Their secretion promotes wound healing and repair. The intricate wound healing process involves not only the angiogenic platelet factors but also de anti-angiogenic ones. The process of platelet preservation, such as freezing, disrupt the platelet membrane structure and their angiogenic properties causing platelet activation. In the field of wound healing and the management of recalcitrant wounds in debilitated and chronically ill patients, there have been several studies. These studies have focused on the use of the different platelet preparations such as fresh frozen plasma, frozen-dried platelet rich plasma, sonicated platelet rich plasma and the use of alogenic acelular dermis. Platelet preparations posses positive effects on wound healing with little alterations of the final scar tissue. In this article we will describe and discuss the studies that have involved the use of these platelet rich preparations in the filed of wound healing and we will also state the road blocks and the studies that will come in the near future regarding the use of platelets products in the field wound healing.

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