Nocardiosis is a rare infection seen most commonly in immunocompromized patients. Most patients have pulmonary involvement, but some develop disseminated infection. A 52-year-old man, treated with immunosuppressive drugs for 3 months after kidney transplantation, developed pulmonary nocardiosis and disseminated infection involving brain, skin, and both uvea. The diagnosis was made by open lung biopsy specimens showing characteristic weak acid fastness with modified Ziel-Neelsen stainig and histologic examination. Immunosuppressive therapy was continued and combination of surgical drainage of brain abscess and chemotherapy with Minocycline were successful. With the increasing number of allograft recipients and concomitant immunosuppression, the possibility of an increase in Nocardia opportunistic infections exists.
Allografts ; Biopsy ; Brain ; Brain Abscess ; Diagnosis ; Drainage ; Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Immunosuppression ; Kidney Transplantation ; Kidney* ; Lung ; Middle Aged ; Minocycline ; Nocardia ; Nocardia Infections* ; Opportunistic Infections ; Skin ; Transplantation* ; Uvea