Nocardia are a group of aerobic actinomycetes that are filamentous gram-positive, weakly acid-fast, and cause opportunistic infection in immunocompromised patients. Primary Nocardia infection mostly involves lung, skin and less commonly, the central nervous system (CNS). Among Nocardia CNS infections, spinal infection is extremely rare. We describe the first case of a spinal abscess caused by Nocardia nova in an immunocompetent patient who experienced a penetrating facial injury six months earlier. Nocardia species were isolated from intradural spinal abscesses and identified by 16S rRNA, hsp65 and secA1 sequence analyses. Surgical excision and treatment with amikacin, cefotaxime, and oral erythromycin was successful.
Journal Information
Vol. 16. Issue 2.
Pages 196-199 (March - April 2012)
Vol. 16. Issue 2.
Pages 196-199 (March - April 2012)
Open Access
First case of Nocardia nova spinal abscess in an immunocompetent patient
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Seung Bok Honga, Kyudong Hanb, Bo Ra Sonc, Kyeong Seob Shinc,
, Byeong Cheol Rimd
Corresponding author
ksshin@chungbuk.ac.kr
Corresponding author at: Department of Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine Chungbuk National University, 52 Naesudong-ro, Heungduk-gu, Cheongju, Chungbuk 361-763, South Korea.
Corresponding author at: Department of Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine Chungbuk National University, 52 Naesudong-ro, Heungduk-gu, Cheongju, Chungbuk 361-763, South Korea.
a Department of Clinical Laboratory Science, Juseong University, South Korea
b Department of Microbiology and Institute of Basic Science, Dankook University, South Korea
c Department of Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, Chungbuk National University, South Korea
d Department of Neurosurgery, College of Medicine, Chungbuk National University, South Korea
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Article information
Abstract
Keywords:
Nocardia
Abscess
Spine
RNA, ribosomal, 16S
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