Nocardia nova as the Causative Agent in Spondylodiscitis and Psoas Abscess

Abstract

We describe here the first case of Nocardia nova spondylodiscitis accompanied by a psoas abscess due to spreading from pulmonary nocardiosis. Nocardia was cultured from all affected sites. After 1 year of an appropriate antimicrobial therapy and a surgical drainage of the abscess that was required, the patient's clinical condition had improved.

Epidural Idiopathic Sterile Pyogranulomatous Inflammation Causing Spinal Cord Compressive Injury in Five Miniature Dachshunds

“…Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) 9 months before admission with epidural ISP revealed on T2‐weighted images, increased signal throughout T13 vertebrae (Fig 1); T1‐weighted images had iso‐intensity, and contrast‐enhanced T1‐weighted images showed no enhancement suggesting that discospondylitis was unlikely 3–5 . Inflammatory disease including infectious (e.g., tuberculosis, 6–8 nocardiosis, 9 etc.) or noninfectious spondylitis or neoplastic disease was suspected.…”

A minimally invasive lateral approach with CT navigation for open biopsy and diagnosis of Nocardia nova L4–5 discitis osteomyelitis: illustrative case

“… 19 There is scant literature on Nocardia osteomyelitis in the vertebrae, with only one other case of N. nova spondylodiscitis reported by Hamdad et al in 2007. 16 This patient’s infection differs in that there was no voluminous psoas abscess that could have easily drained purulence to yield the causative organism. Imipenem has been shown to be effective for the treatment of all N. nova strains, among other Nocardia spp.…”

“…as causes of vertebral osteomyelitis but none using our technique. 16 , 17 Of note, the Nocardia spp. are frequently intractable to positive biopsy by traditional means.…”

Lymphocutaneous Nocardiosis in a Patient With Human Immunodeficiency/Tuberculosis Coinfection

“…In this case, N. nova caused lymphocutaneous lesions because antiretroviral medication brought the CD4 cell count close to normal level, making the patient somewhat immunosuppressed. Among Nocardia spp., N. brasiliensis is the most common species isolated from a lymphocutaneous disease [2], while there are a few reports of N. nova causing the cutaneous disease [6][7].…”