J Comput Assist Tomogr 1995 Jan;19(1):52-55; Pulmonary nocardiosis: CT findings.
Yoon HK, Im JG, Ahn JM, Han MC
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate CT findings of pulmonary nocardiosis in immunocompromised
patients. MATERIALS ALND
METHODS: Five patients with bacteriologically confirmed pulmonary nocardiosis
were evaluated. Four patients were
receiving corticosteroids with or without other immunosuppressive drugs
for lupus nephritis (two patients), idiopathic
thrombocytopenic purpura (one patient), and renal transplantation (one
patient), and one patient had long-standing
diabetes. Nocardia asteroides was isolated from blood culture, bronchial
washing, pleuropulmonary aspirates, or open
lung biopsy. Plain chest radiography and CT were performed on all patients,
and follow-up CT was performed on one
patient. RESULTS: On CT there were pleural effusion (four patients),
air-space consolidation with internal low
attenuation with or without cavities (four patients), multiple noncavitating
pulmonary nodules and subpleural pulmonary
nodules (three patients), and chest wall extension (three patients).
Follow-up CT after treatment showed marked
improvement of the pleural and pulmonary lesions. CONCLUSION: In the
immunocompromised and chronically
debilitated host, pulmonary nocardiosis should be included in differential
diagnosis if chest CT shows consolidation
with low attenuation areas with or without cavitation, multiple pulmonary
nodules, pleural effusion, and chest wall
extension.
PMID: 7822548, UI: 95122805
