title: [Nocardia farcinica infection of a vascular prosthesis].
abstract: A 61-year-old woman presented with purple-red subcutaneous nodules on her right leg. She had experienced fever up to 40 degrees C for the past 10 days and felt generally weak over the last two months. Four months earlier, a vascular graft had been implanted in her right femoral artery. Based on the diagnosis of skin infection due to implantation of an infected prosthesis, she was hospitalized and treated with an antibiotic regime. During the initial antibiotic treatment, the symptoms deteriorated, and she developed joint, hepatic and CNS abscesses. Finally, a microbiologic culture with an extended incubation time revealed the diagnosis of an infection with the slowly growing bacterium Nocardia ssp. Hereupon the patient was treated purposefully with Meropenem over six months. This treatment resulted in complete recovery.
authors.affiliation: Klinik und Poliklinik für Dermatologie, Universitätsklinik Regensburg, Franz-Josef-Strauss-Allee 11, 93042 Regensburg. philipp.babilas@klinik.uni-regensburg.de
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Babilas
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Scherer
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Landthaler
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ehrenstein
authors.forename: R-M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Szeimies
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007868:Leg Dermatoses / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D000077731:Meropenem; D008875:Middle Aged; D009617:Nocardia Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D016459:Prosthesis-Related Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D017192:Skin Diseases, Bacterial / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D013845:Thienamycins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D013845:Thienamycins; D000077731:Meropenem