A Case of Disseminated Nocardiosis Secondary to the Skin Nodules in an Elderly Woman.
Nocardiosis refers to a locally invasive or disseminated infection associated with the Nocardia species. Most infections enter through the respiratory tract and then disseminate systemically. Rarely can a primary nocardial infection of the skin spread to contiguous structures or disseminate to other internal organs in immunocompromised hosts. We describe a 70-year-old woman who suffered from recurrent nodular skin lesions on her right hand, forearm and elbow following inoculation of a traumatic injury. Analysis of the purulent exudates obtained from the nodule revealed Nocardia species. After 20 days, a chest X-ray showed newly developed multiple nodules in both lungs. The diagnosis of systemic nocardiosis was established, and we treated this case with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole.
Department of Dermatology, Inha University College of Medicine, Incheon, Korea.
Seung Gyun
SG
In
Department of Dermatology, Inha University College of Medicine, Incheon, Korea.
Sung Hyup
SH
Han
Department of Dermatology, Inha University College of Medicine, Incheon, Korea.
Jeong Hyun
JH
Shin
Department of Dermatology, Inha University College of Medicine, Incheon, Korea.
Gwang Seong
GS
Choi
Department of Internal Medicine, Inha University College of Medicine, Incheon, Korea.
Moon Hyun
MH
Chung
Disseminated nocardiosis; Nocardia; Nocardiosis