Nocardia: An Unsuspecting Culprit Identified in the Brain Abscess of an Elderly Immunosuppressed Male

Files

Authors

• Casey P. Schukow, Corewell Health East Resident
• Yelena Wilson, Corewell Health East

Description

Background:  Nocardia spp. is a Gram positive, acid-fast bacillus with an approximate infection incidence rate of 500 to 1000 new cases per year in the United States (CDC, 2024).  It is rarely identified in brain abscesses (about 1-2% of cases) and can carry a reported mortality rate as high as 55-90% in immunocompromised patients, particularly with disseminated infection (Pereira & Cortés, 2021).  N. paucivorans was newly described in 2000 (Yassin et al, 2000) and, though current reports are few, may have a favorable prognosis with long-term antimicrobial therapy when presenting as a brain abscess

Publication Date

4-16-2025

Keywords

nocardia, brain abscess

Disciplines

Pathology

Recommended Citation

Schukow CP, Wilson Y. Nocardia: An Unsuspecting Culprit Identified in the Brain Abscess of an Elderly Immunosuppressed Male. Presented at: Corewell Health East Resident/Fellow Research Day, 2025 Apr 16, Virtual.