VOLUME 5 , ISSUE 1-2 ( January-December, 2022 ) > List of Articles
Sumit Arora, Abhinav Kumar, Kuldeep K Ashta, Atul Gogia, Atul Kakar
Keywords : Human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, Nocardiosis, Pneumonia
Citation Information : Arora S, Kumar A, Ashta KK, Gogia A, Kakar A. Pulmonary Nocardiosis—A Mimicker of Tuberculosis in Human Immunodeficiency Virus Patients: Two Case Reports. Journal of Medical Academics 2022; 5 (1-2):20-22.
DOI: 10.5005/jp-journals-11003-0112
License: CC BY-NC 4.0
Published Online: 22-02-2023
Copyright Statement: Copyright © 2022; The Author(s).
Background: Nocardia is a gram-positive weakly acid-fast bacterium causing atypical pneumonia in an immunocompromised setting. A mimicker of pulmonary tuberculosis, presenting as cavitating lesions of the lung. It presents with suppurative disease localized to skin and subcutaneous tissue in immunocompetent individuals. It is a rare opportunistic infection in HIV patients with CD4 < 50, on prolonged steroids, at extreme ages, and haematological malignancies presenting with severe disseminated disease. Diagnosis of Nocardia requires the isolation of the organism from invaded tissue and can be stained on the Gram and modified acid-fast stains. Case Description: We report two cases of severe pulmonary nocardiosis diagnosed to have HIV infection on presentation with CD4 counts <50 cell/cmm3. Conslusion: We conclude that for patients presenting with subacute cavitating or interstitial pneumonia with immunocompromised status and HIV patients with low CD4 counts, a diagnosis of nocardiosis should be suspected along with tuberculosis and fungal infections.
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