Yonsei Med J.  1987 Jun;28(2):157-161. 10.3349/ymj.1987.28.2.157.

Pulmonary Nocardiosis in a Renal Transplant Patient

• Park K
• Chong Y
• Lee SY

• KMID: 1729548
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3349/ymj.1987.28.2.157

Abstract

Nocardia is a significant opportunistic pathogen in patients with compromised immunity. The authors isolated N. asteroides from an abscess of the axilla and from respiratory specimens of a renal allograft patient with pneumonia. Direct smear of the sputum and bronchial washing specimens showed many branching, filamentous forms which were gram-positive and acid fast. Culture yielded slow growing small white colonies which became orange on further incubation. Aerial hyphae were produced. Identification of the species was based on typical cultural and biochemical tests. The isolate was susceptible to amikacin, minocycline and rifamipicin. The patient became afebrile after 8 weeks of treatment with cotrimoxazole and brief treatment with other antimicrobial agents.

Keyword

Pulmonary nocardiosis; N. asteroides; renal transplantation

MeSH Terms

Adult
Human
Kidney Transplantation*
Lung Diseases/etiology*
Male
Nocardia Infections/etiology*
Nocardia asteroides/isolation & purification