Urease-negative Nocardia asteroides causing cutaneous nocardiosis.
We report a case of cutaneous nocardiosis, caused by a urease-negative strain of Nocardia asteroides, in a patient who had undergone long-term corticosteroid therapy. The microbiological characteristics of the isolate were typical of N. asteroides except for the failure of the isolate to hydrolyze urea. During the course of routine identification, laboratory specialists should be aware of the occasional occurrence of atypical strains of N. asteroides.
Unité de Mycologie, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
P
P
Boiron
C
C
Lafaurie
A
A
Rabbache
J
J
Brown
R
R
Carteret
J
J
Petit
D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009617:Nocardia Infections / Q000209:etiology*; D009616:Nocardia asteroides / Q000201:enzymology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012874:Skin Diseases, Infectious / Q000209:etiology*; D014510:Urease / Q000032:analysis*
D014510:Urease