Nocardiosis - pulmonary

Alternative names

Pulmonary nocardiosis

Definition

Pulmonary nocardiosis is an infection of the lung that is caused by the fungus-like bacterium Nocardia asteroides.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

Nocardia infection develops when you inhale the bacteria. The infection causes pneumonia-like symptoms but is often not limited to the lungs. Infection can spread to any part of the body, but brain and skin infections are the most common complications.

In the US, there are 500-1,000 new cases of nocardia infection diagnosed each year.

People at highest risk for nocardia infection are people with impaired immune systems, including people with HIV, people receiving chronic therapy with steroid medication, and people who have received organ transplants. People suffering chronic lung problems related to Smoking, Emphysema, or other infections such as Tuberculosis are also at increased risk.

Pulmonary (lung) manifestations of nocardiosis are more common in children than adults.

Symptoms

• Cough with sputum production
  
• Progressive difficulty breathing (pulmonary insufficiency)
  
• General discomfort, uneasiness, or ill feeling (malaise)
  
• Unintentional weight loss
  
• Fever (intermittent)
  
• Night sweats, excessive sweating at night
  
• Chest pain
  
• Joint pain
  
• Liver and spleen enlargement (hepatosplenomegaly)
  
• headache, change in mental state (occurs with brain lesions)
  
• Skin Rashes or lumps
  

Signs and tests

• Decreased breath sounds in the lung
  
• Crackles (rales) in the infected lung detected by stethoscope
  
• Chest x-ray
  
• CT scan