Case of coexistingNocardia cyriacigeorgicaandAspergillus fumigatuslung infection with metastatic disease of the central nervous system

Abstract

Nocardiosis is a rare opportunistic gram-positive bacterial infection. The genusNocardiaconsists of non-motile, aerobic, non-spore-forming, catalase-positive, filamentous-branching bacteria with fragmentation into coccoid or bacillary forms. Opportunistic infections due toNocardiaare reported in immunocompromised patients.Aspergillus fumigatusis a conidia forming fungus that can be found in soil, plant matter and dust, causing invasive pulmonary and disseminated infection in immunocompromised patients. BothNocardia cyriacigeorgicaandA. fumigatusare known to cause pulmonary infection with metastatic dissemination to the central nervous system. We present a case ofNocardiaandAspergillusco-infection in a patient who presented within a few days of initiation of immunosuppressants for suspected systemic lupus erythematosus.