Pulmonary nocardiosis and empyema in a patient with metastatic neuroendocrine tumor

Abstract

Nocardia is a ubiquitous aerobic gram-positive bacterium that can cause local or disseminated infection. Nocardiosis involves the lung in the majority of cases. Nocardiosis is often an opportunistic infection, but can also affect non-immunocompromised hosts. This case report highlights the presence of empyema due to Nocardia cyriacigeorgica infection, an unusual feature of Nocardia pulmonary involvement.

Keywords

• Nocardia cyriacigeorgica
• empyema
• immunocompromised host
• nocardiosis
• pneumonia