[Pulmonary nocardiosis].
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.
Salta
Guadalupe
G
Serviço de Hematología, Unidade de Cuidados Intensivos, Laboratórios de Bacteriologia, Instituto Português de Oncologia de Francisco Gentil, Lisboa.
Bouw
Maria José
MJ
Tendeiro
Teresa
T
Saraiva
Zélia
Z
Reis
Martins
M
Mello e Castro
Manuel
M
Girão
Ana
A
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