First report of pulmonary Nocardia otitidiscaviarum infection in an immunocompetent patient from Turkey

Abstract

Nocardiosis is a rare disease, and worldwide, respiratory and disseminated infections are most often due to Nocardia asteroides which is recognised increasingly as an opportunistic infection in patients with underlying chronic debilitating disease or immunodeficiency. However, infection with N. otitidiscaviarum and pulmonary nocardiosis in an immune-competent host remains very rare. We report a 65-year-old immune-competent male with pulmonary N. otitidiscaviarum infection in whom complete cure was provided with a 6 months of antibiotic combination including trimethoprim-sulfomethaxazol. This is the first report of pulmonary N. otitidiscaviarum infection in an immune-competent patient from Turkey.

Clinical and Laboratory Features of theNocardiaspp. Based on Current Molecular Taxonomy

“…otitidiscaviarum has been recovered from soil and has also been described as an opportunistic pathogen for humans and animals (72,117). In humans, N. otitidiscaviarum is known to be a cause of primary cutaneous, lymphocutaneous, and pulmonary infections in both immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients (30,36,50,203). Infections due to N. otitidiscaviarum appear to be rare compared to those caused by other species of Nocardia, and there were no published reports of human infection until the mid 1960s (36).…”

“…Nocardiae are ubiquitous in the environment and can be found worldwide as saprophytic components in fresh-and saltwater, soil, dust, decaying vegetation, and decaying fecal deposits from animals (8,20,50,66,70,79,117,198,224). Some species are more prevalent in geographical locations with a specific climate.…”

Primary Brain Abscess Caused by <i>Nocardia otitidiscaviarum</i>

“…In humans, N. otitidiscaviarum (formerly N. caviae) causes primary cutaneous, lymphocutaneous and pulmonary infections in both immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals (7)(8)(9)(10). Infections caused by N. otitidiscaviarum appear to be rarer than those resulting from other Nocardia species.…”

Nocardial tubo‐ovarian abscess in a pregnant woman: A rare case report

“…1 However, nocardiosis in an immunocompetent host remains very rare. 3 Nocardia causes acute, subacute, or chronic suppurative infections with a tendency to remission and exacerbation. It is curable but has a high mortality rate (exceeding 50% in some reports) because of delayed diagnosis and unresponsiveness to the usual antibiotic therapy.…”

“…1,2 In the USA, more couples use sterilisation to avoid conception than any other method. 3 The majority of sterilisations are performed laparoscopically. 1,4 In the UK and many other developed countries, the most frequently used method is laparoscopic occlusion of the fallopian tubes using Filshie clips.…”