Nocardia Farcinica Lung Abscess Presenting in the Context of Advanced HIV Infection: Spontaneous Resolution in Response to Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy Alone

A 43-year-old man, known to be HIV-positive, presented with a six-week history of symptoms including cough, hemoptysis, anterior chest pain, fever and wasting. His CD4 cell count was 46 cells/μL, and his chest x-ray showed a cavitating lesion in the left upper lobe. Sputum culture was positive for N...

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Main Authors: Arienne S King, Jose G Castro, Gordon CK Dow
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2009-01-01
Series:Canadian Journal of Infectious Diseases and Medical Microbiology
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2009/181750
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author Arienne S King
Jose G Castro
Gordon CK Dow
author_facet Arienne S King
Jose G Castro
Gordon CK Dow
author_sort Arienne S King
collection DOAJ
description A 43-year-old man, known to be HIV-positive, presented with a six-week history of symptoms including cough, hemoptysis, anterior chest pain, fever and wasting. His CD4 cell count was 46 cells/μL, and his chest x-ray showed a cavitating lesion in the left upper lobe. Sputum culture was positive for Nocardia farcinica. His infection resolved following initiation of antiretroviral therapy. Nocardia is an uncommon opportunistic pathogen in patients with HIV infection and is usually associated with advanced CD4 depletion, cavitary pneumonia, metastatic infection and high mortality. The impact of antiretroviral therapy on Nocardia infection in the setting of HIV has not been clearly elucidated. The current report is the first to present a case in which a complete clinical cure of Nocardia pneumonia has been documented, primarily in response to highly active antiretroviral therapy alone.
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spelling doaj-art-76913256185d4ce29a4dd83affdddbf82025-08-20T02:07:16ZengWileyCanadian Journal of Infectious Diseases and Medical Microbiology1712-95322009-01-01203e103e10610.1155/2009/181750Nocardia Farcinica Lung Abscess Presenting in the Context of Advanced HIV Infection: Spontaneous Resolution in Response to Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy AloneArienne S King0Jose G Castro1Gordon CK Dow2Department of Internal Medicine, The Moncton Hospital, Moncton, New Brunswick, CanadaDepartment of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USADepartment of Internal Medicine, The Moncton Hospital, Moncton, New Brunswick, CanadaA 43-year-old man, known to be HIV-positive, presented with a six-week history of symptoms including cough, hemoptysis, anterior chest pain, fever and wasting. His CD4 cell count was 46 cells/μL, and his chest x-ray showed a cavitating lesion in the left upper lobe. Sputum culture was positive for Nocardia farcinica. His infection resolved following initiation of antiretroviral therapy. Nocardia is an uncommon opportunistic pathogen in patients with HIV infection and is usually associated with advanced CD4 depletion, cavitary pneumonia, metastatic infection and high mortality. The impact of antiretroviral therapy on Nocardia infection in the setting of HIV has not been clearly elucidated. The current report is the first to present a case in which a complete clinical cure of Nocardia pneumonia has been documented, primarily in response to highly active antiretroviral therapy alone.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2009/181750
spellingShingle Arienne S King
Jose G Castro
Gordon CK Dow
Nocardia Farcinica Lung Abscess Presenting in the Context of Advanced HIV Infection: Spontaneous Resolution in Response to Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy Alone
Canadian Journal of Infectious Diseases and Medical Microbiology
title Nocardia Farcinica Lung Abscess Presenting in the Context of Advanced HIV Infection: Spontaneous Resolution in Response to Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy Alone
title_full Nocardia Farcinica Lung Abscess Presenting in the Context of Advanced HIV Infection: Spontaneous Resolution in Response to Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy Alone
title_fullStr Nocardia Farcinica Lung Abscess Presenting in the Context of Advanced HIV Infection: Spontaneous Resolution in Response to Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy Alone
title_full_unstemmed Nocardia Farcinica Lung Abscess Presenting in the Context of Advanced HIV Infection: Spontaneous Resolution in Response to Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy Alone
title_short Nocardia Farcinica Lung Abscess Presenting in the Context of Advanced HIV Infection: Spontaneous Resolution in Response to Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy Alone
title_sort nocardia farcinica lung abscess presenting in the context of advanced hiv infection spontaneous resolution in response to highly active antiretroviral therapy alone
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2009/181750
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