title: [Pulmonary nocardiosis].
abstract: Pulmonary nocardiosis is an opportunistic infection that manifests itself mostly in the context of decreased defences, due either to pre-existing pathology or to immunosuppressive therapy, and is often complicated by central nervous system involvement. The clinical and radiological picture is highly variable, requiring a broad spectrum of differential diagnosis, and leaving a decisive and difficult role to the laboratory. We present two cases that exemplify the clinical variability of this infection, the difficulty of the microbiological diagnosis in a routine laboratory, the problems of the antimicrobials' selection, and the importance of a long therapy course.
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Hematología, Unidade de Cuidados Intensivos, Laboratórios de Bacteriologia, Instituto Português de Oncologia de Francisco Gentil, Lisboa.
authors.forename: Guadalupe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Salta
authors.forename: Maria José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Bouw
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tendeiro
authors.forename: Zélia
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Saraiva
authors.forename: Martins
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reis
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mello e Castro
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Girão
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008875:Middle Aged; D009615:Nocardia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009617:Nocardia Infections / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000382:microbiology*; D011859:Radiography