title: Nocardia brain abscess mimicking brain tumour in immunocompetent patients: report of two cases and review of the literature.
abstract: Nocardia brain abscess is a rare intracranial lesion and has been reported in immunocompromised patients. An optimal treatment approach has not been established. However, early diagnosis and appropriate antimicrobial therapy are very important factors for a good outcome. We report two unusual cases of Nocardia brain abscess simulating brain tumour in immunocompetent patients. One of the cases was presumed to be a primary brain tumour and the other a metastatic brain tumour. They underwent surgical gross total resection. After Nocardia asteroides was seen on Gram's stain and subsequently identified by culture, appropriate antibiotic therapy was initiated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Erciyes University School of Medicine, Kayseri, Turkey. menkua@erciyes.edu.tr
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Menkü
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kurtsoy
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tucer
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Yildiz
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Akdemir
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001922:Brain Abscess / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D007121:Immunocompetence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D038361:Neuronavigation; D009617:Nocardia Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery*