Pulmonary nocardiosis caused by Nocardia otitidiscaviarum in an adult asthmatic female patient: The presence of acid-fast branching filaments is always significant

A Mahgoub; S A Gumaa; M R P Joseph; M S Saleh; A H A Elsheikh; A I Elkhalifa; E Elhaj; R R M Salih; M E Hamid

doi:10.7196/SAMJ.2017.v107i1.12006

South African Medical Journal (Jan 2017)

Pulmonary nocardiosis caused by Nocardia otitidiscaviarum in an adult asthmatic female patient: The presence of acid-fast branching filaments is always significant

A Mahgoub,
S A Gumaa,
M R P Joseph,
M S Saleh,
A H A Elsheikh,
A I Elkhalifa,
E Elhaj,
R R M Salih,
M E Hamid

Affiliations

A Mahgoub: Department of Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Khartoum, Sudan
S A Gumaa: Department of Microbiology, Royale Care International Hospital, Khartoum, Sudan
M R P Joseph: Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
M S Saleh: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medical Laboratory Science, Omdurman Islamic University, Omdurman, Sudan
A H A Elsheikh: Department of Microbiology, Royale Care International Hospital, Khartoum, Sudan
A I Elkhalifa: Department of Microbiology, Royale Care International Hospital, Khartoum, Sudan
E Elhaj: Department of Medicine, Royale Care International Hospital, Khartoum, Sudan
R R M Salih: Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Khartoum, Sudan
M E Hamid: Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Full Text

DOI: https://doi.org/10.7196/SAMJ.2017.v107i1.12006
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 107, no. 1
pp. 43 – 45

Abstract

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We report a case of pulmonary nocardiosis in a 41-year-old asthma patient. Chest radiographs showed bilateral air space and consolidations. Acid-fast branching filaments were demonstrated in sputum, and the grown organism was identified phenotypically and confirmed using 16S rDNA sequencing (accession no. KX500116). The patient received a combination of medical treatments, but developed complications, which were managed over the next 3 months, after which she was discharged. Pulmonary nocardiosis should be considered in patients undergoing steroid therapy or when a chronic infection does not respond to first-line treatment.

Published in South African Medical Journal

ISSN: 0256-9574 (Print); 2078-5135 (Online)
Publisher: South African Medical Association
Country of publisher: South Africa
LCC subjects: Medicine: Medicine (General)
Website: https://samajournals.co.za/index.php/samj/index

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