Molecular diagnosis of Nocardia farcinica from a cerebral abscess.
Histopathology and special stains of a brain biopsy specimen from a 42-year-old man revealed numerous gram-positive bacilli arranged in branching filaments, suggesting Nocardia infection. Antibiotic therapy with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole markedly decreased the abscess size, and the patient improved. DNA was analyzed from formalin-fixed sections of the cerebral abscess by a 16S ribosomal DNA polymerase chain reaction assay demonstrating the presence of either Nocardia farcinica or N otitidiscaviarum. A species-specific polymerase chain reaction assay confirmed N farcinica as the etiologic agent.
Tatti
Kathleen M
KM
Infectious Disease Pathology Activity, Division of Viral and Rickettsial Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Atlanta, Georgia 30333, USA. ket2@cdc.gov
Shieh
Wun-Ju
WJ
Phillips
Sonya
S
Augenbraun
Michael
M
Rao
Chandrakant
C
Zaki
Sherif R
SR
D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy; D001921:Brain / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D001922:Brain Abscess / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009615:Nocardia / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009617:Nocardia Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015662:Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D015662:Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination