A Case of Nocardia asteroides Isolated from Subcutaneous Abscess in a Pneumonic Patient with a Rejected Transplant Kidney.
- Author:
Eun Hee KWON
1
;
Nan Young LEE
;
Kyung Eun SONG
;
Jang Soo SUH
;
Won Kil LEE
Author Information
1. Department of Clinical Pathology, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea. leewk@kyungpook.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Case Report
- Keywords:
Nocardia asteroides;
Renal transplant;
Skin abscess;
Pneumonia
- MeSH:
Abscess*;
Allografts;
Central Nervous System Infections;
Diagnosis;
Early Diagnosis;
Humans;
Immunosuppression;
Kidney*;
Mortality;
Nocardia asteroides*;
Nocardia Infections;
Nocardia*;
Opportunistic Infections;
Pneumonia;
Respiratory System;
Skin
- From:Korean Journal of Clinical Pathology
2002;22(2):101-104
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
Opportunistic infections are common after a renal transplant as a result of immunosuppression. Nocardiosis is a rare but important cause of morbidity and mortality among renal transplant recipi-ents. Nocardiosis is a localized or disseminated infection, which is usually introduced through the respiratory tract resulting in pneumonia, and may develop a disseminated infection, in particular a subcutaneous abscess and/or central nervous system infection. Because effective therapy for these nocardiosis is available, an accurate and timely diagnosis is crucial. However, nocardiosis is an infrequent disease and many physicians are unfamiliar to it. In addition, in the laboratory, cul-tures may be discarded too early, which often delays an early diagnosis and treatment. The authors isolated Nocardia asteroides from an abscess of the skin in a rejected renal allograft patient suffering pneumonia. The patient was successfully treated with trimethoprim/sulfamethoxa-zole.