The quality parameters for the detection of microsporidia in identical sets of 50 stool samples were determined for six laboratories where technicians used light microscopy and for six laboratories where technicians used PCR. The average overall sensitivities were 67% (89% for patient samples only) for the PCR laboratories and 54% (80% for patient samples only) for the light microscopy laboratories. Specificities were 98 and 95%, respectively. Differences in results were most apparent between the individual laboratories rather than between the two major methods used.

Nocardial infections affect mainly the respiratory tract but also can attack the CNS. Clinical experience with cerebral nocardiosis is very limited. We present two patients with very different cerebral affections due to nocardiosis. Cerebral nocardial infections can cause both multiple small abscesses and single large abscesses in the human brain. Despite the rare incidence of cerebral nocardiosis, it is an important differential diagnosis of expansive processes and abscesses in the CNS.

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