Nocardia infection Health Article

Definition

Nocardia infection is a rare disorder caused by bacteria called nocardia, which tend to affect the lungs, brain, or skin. It occurs primarily in individuals with weakened immune systems.

Alternative Names

Nocardiosis

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

Nocardia infection is a chronic bacterial infection that usually originates in the lungs and tends to spread to other organ systems -- most commonly the brain and the skin. It may also involve the kidneys, the joints, the heart, the eyes, and the bones.

Nocardia is found in soil around the world. It can be contracted by inhaling contaminated dust or via contamination of a wound with soil containing nocardia.

While individuals with normal immune systems can acquire this infection, the main risk factors for nocardiosis are a weakened immune system or chronic lung disease. People on chronic steroid therapy, those with cancer, organ or bone marrow transplants, or HIV/AIDS are at risk.

Symptoms

Symptoms vary and depend on the organs involved.

• Lungs (pulmonary nocardiosis):
  • Fevers
  • Night sweats
  • Weight loss
  • Coughing blood
  • Chest pain upon breathing (may occur suddenly or slowly)
• Brain (cerebral nocardiosis):
  • Fever
  • Headache
  • Loss of neurological function (may be seen, depending the part of the brain affected)
• Skin:
  • Ulcers or nodules with infection sometimes spreading along lymph nodes
  • May become chronically infected (mycetoma) and develop draining tracts

Some individuals may have no symptoms.

Signs and tests

Because nocardia infections are most likely to affect the lungs, brain, and skin, the diagnosis should be suspected in individuals who have symptoms in any of those organs, particularly if they have conditions that weaken the immune system.

Nocardiosis is diagnosed by tests that identify the bacteria. Depending on the site involved this may involve obtaining a tissue sample by way of the following:

• Sputum culture
• Bronchoscopy
• Lung biopsy
• Skin biopsy
• Brain biopsy

Treatment

Long-term antibiotic therapy (usually with sulfonamides) for 6 months to a year (or longer depending on the individual and site involved) is needed to treat nocardia. Frequently, chronic suppressive therapy may be needed (prolonged, low-dose antibiotic therapy).

In addition, in patients with abscesses caused by this infection, surgery may be required in order to ensure adequate drainage.