title: Nocardia cyriacigeorgica as the causative agent of mandibular osteomyelitis (lumpy jaw) in a cat.
abstract: An unusual case of osteomyelitis caused by Nocardia cyriacigeorgica infection and resulting in mandibular osteomyelitis and cellulitis (lumpy jaw) is described in a young cat. A 1-cm hard nodular mass was an incidental finding in the right mandible of a 14-month-old cat during routine physical examination. The lesion was fast growing, reaching up to 6 cm in its largest dimension over a 5-week period. A core biopsy of the affected mandible revealed foci of osteolysis, woven bone formation, and a few large clusters of filamentous bacteria surrounded by fine eosinophilic amorphous material bordered by neutrophils, plasma cells, macrophages, and occasional multinucleated giant cells. Pure cultures of acid-fast variable, Gram-positive filamentous bacteria were recovered on blood and chocolate agar plates at 48-hr postinoculation. On amplification and sequencing of the 16S ribosomal RNA and 65-kDa heat shock protein genes, the microorganisms were identified as N. cyriacigeorgica, within the actinomycetes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Ross University, Basseterre, St. Kitts, West Indies.
authors.forename: Esteban
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Soto
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Ross University, Basseterre, St. Kitts, West Indies.
authors.forename: Maziel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arauz
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Ross University, Basseterre, St. Kitts, West Indies.
authors.forename: Christa Ann
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Gallagher
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Ross University, Basseterre, St. Kitts, West Indies.
authors.forename: Oscar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Illanes
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D002415:Cats; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D008336:Mandibular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D009615:Nocardia / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009617:Nocardia Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D010019:Osteomyelitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000032:analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
keywords: Cats; Nocardia; lumpy jaw; mandibular osteomyelitis