title: Nocardia farcinica Meningitis Masquerading as Central Nervous System Metastasis in a Child With Cerebellar Pilocytic Astrocytoma.
abstract: Juvenile pilocytic astrocytoma, the most common pediatric central nervous system (CNS) neoplasm, characteristically displays an indolent growth pattern and rarely demonstrates metastatic dissemination. Reports of infections mimicking CNS metastatic disease are also rare and can impact treatment. We report the youngest known case of a child with a CNS Nocardia farcinica infection who had a known cerebellar pilocytic astrocytoma, review other infections that may masquerade as CNS neoplasms, and discuss N. farcinica CNS infections.
authors.affiliation: Divisions of *Oncology, Cancer and Blood Diseases Institute ∥Pediatric Neurosurgery Departments of ‡Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases §Radiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH †Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Kreppel
authors.forename: Rebecca C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Brady
authors.forename: Blaise
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Charles B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Stevenson
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fouladi
authors.forename: Trent R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Hummel
mesh_terms: D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000382:microbiology / Q000556:secondary*; D002528:Cerebellar Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008577:Meningeal Neoplasms / Q000382:microbiology / Q000556:secondary*; D008581:Meningitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D009615:Nocardia / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009617:Nocardia Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D011379:Prognosis