Citation Information :
Verma A, Kumar N, Aggarwal S. Pulmonary Nocardiosis in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Beyond Immunodeficiency. Indian J Chest Dis Allied Sci 2024; 66 (2):60-63.
Pulmonary nocardiosis (PN) is a rare disease caused by nocardia species. Earlier, commonly considered as an opportunistic infection, various case reports and case series of the disease have been reported in immunocompetent patients also, particularly among those with chronic lung diseases. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is commonly found in association with PN. This disease has non-specific signs/symptoms and difficult bacteriological culture, making it difficult to diagnose and sometimes misdiagnosed as tuberculosis. We report a case of PNs in a 60-year-old female with COPD. Since the patient was never on systemic or inhaled steroid therapy and has no comorbidities causing immunosuppression, it supports that, COPD could represent an independent risk factor for PN.
Castellana G, Grimaldi A, Castellana M, et al. Pulmonary nocardiosis in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. A new clinical challenge. Respir Med Case Rep 2016;18:14–21. DOI: 10.1016/j.rmcr.2016.03.004.
Kasper D, Fauci A, Hauser S, et al. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 19th edition. South East Asia: McGraw-Hill Professional Publishing; 2015. pp. 1084–1087.
Ambrosioni J, Lew D, Garbino J. Nocardiosis. Updated clinical review and experience at a Tertiary Center. Infection 2010;38(2):89–97. DOI: 10.1007/s15010-009-9193-9.
Matulionyte R, Rohner P, Uckay I, et al. Secular trends of nocardia infection over 15 years in a tertiary care hospital. J Clin Pathol 2004;57(8):807–812. DOI: 10.1136/jcp.2004.016923.
Shome SK, Upreti HB, Singh MM, et al. Mycoses associated with pulmonary tuberculosis. Ind J Tuberc 1976;23:64–68.
Aggarwal D, Garg K, Chander J, et al. Pulmonary nocardiosis revisited: A case series. Lung India 2015;32(2):165–168. DOI: 10.4103/0970-2113.152638.
Riviere F, Billhot M, Soler C, et al. Pulmonary nocardiosis in immunocompetent patients: Can COPD be the only risk factor?. Eur Respir Rev 2011;20(121):210–212. DOI: 10.1183/09059180.00002211.
Maggiorelli C, Di Pierro I, Manta C, et al. Nocardia and lungs in COPD: Beyond immuno-deficiencies. COPD 2015;12(3):321–326. DOI: 10.3109/15412555.2014.933951.
Chedid M, Chedid M, Porto N, et al. Nocardial infections: Report of 22 cases. Rev Inst Med Trop Sao Paulo 2007;49(4):239–246. DOI: 10.1590/s0036-46652007000400009.