Nocardia infection

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Antibodies

Nocardiosis

Symptoms vary and depend on the organs involved.

• Lungs (pulmonary nocardiosis):
  • Fevers
  • Night sweats
  • Weight loss
  • Coughing blood
  • Chest pain upon breathing (may occur suddenly or slowly)
• Brain (cerebral nocardiosis):
  • Fever
  • Headache
  • Loss of neurological function (may be seen, depending the part of the brain affected)
• Skin:
  • Ulcers or nodules with infection sometimes spreading along lymph nodes
  • May become chronically infected (mycetoma) and develop draining tracts

Some individuals may have no symptoms.

Because nocardia infections are most likely to affect the lungs, brain, and skin, the diagnosis should be suspected in individuals who have symptoms in any of those organs, particularly if they have conditions that weaken the immune system.

Nocardiosis is diagnosed by tests that identify the bacteria. Depending on the site involved this may involve obtaining a tissue sample by way of the following:

• Sputum culture
• Bronchoscopy
• Lung biopsy
• Skin biopsy
• Brain biopsy

Review Date: 08/07/2006
Reviewed By: D. Scott Smith, M.D., MSc, DTM&H, Chief of Infectious Disease & Geographic Medicine, Kaiser Redwood City, CA & Adjunct Assistant Professor, Stanford University. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.