Nocardia are a branching,beaded, filamentous, gram-positive, weakly acid-fast
bacteria
-It occurs most commonly in males
Symptoms & Signs
Pulmonary disease: the most common presentation of nocardiosis; it is initiated by inhalation of bacteria; fever, malaise, loss of weight, night sweats, cough, purulent sputum, hemoptysis, pleuritic chest pain
Skin disease: cellulitis, abscess, lymphocutaneous nodules in a sporotrichoid pattern
Systemic disease: by hematogenous spread; brain abscess, meningitis
Diagnosis
Culture of sputum, pus, spinal fluid: Gram positive, filamentous bacteria weakly positive with acid-fast staining
CXR: single or multiple nodular infiltrates
Treatment
Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (Drug of choice)
Alternative agents: Minocycline, linezolid,amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, amikacin, ceftriaxone, imipenem
Q. What is the most common presentation of nocardiosis? Pulmonary disease
Q. What is the drug of choice to treat nocardiosis? Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole