title: [Nocardia asteroides infection in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus].
abstract: Nocardia asteroides infection are unusually observed in systemic Lupus erithematous (SLE) patients. They are generally associated to steroidal and immunosuppressive therapy. We report a 24 years old female with SLE diagnosed in 1994 who developed a severe preeclampsia in her first pregnancy requiring emergency caesarean section. Post partum acute renal failure and type IV lupus nephropathy were treated with hemodialysis, methylprednisolone, cyclophosphamide and prednisone. Three months later, while she was receiving the fourth cyclophosphamide dose, she presented with a pleuro pneumonia and occipital abscess, both caused by Nocardia asteroides. She was treated with cotrimoxazole + cefixime and pleural decortication was required. Five months later, she developed Meningitis caused by Nocardia asteroides and hydrocephalus. She was treated with ceftriaxone, vancomycin, cotrimoxazole and ventricular shunting procedure. Two months later, a retroperitoneal abscess was diagnosed and surgically drained but the patient died, due to a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus septicemia.
authors.affiliation: Hospital San Borja-Arriarán, Departamento Medicina, Universidad de Chile. pmcnab@netline.cl
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mc-Nab
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fuentealba
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ballesteros
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pacheco
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alvarez
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dabanch
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cona
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D009617:Nocardia Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D009616:Nocardia asteroides; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology