Skip to content
Review Open access

Septic arthritis caused by Nocardia asiatica: a case report and narrative review

Sep 2026 · Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo · Vol 68 · 0 citations · 19 references
Medicine

TL;DR

A case of septic arthritis caused by N. asiatica is reported in a 72-year-old man with a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pneumoconiosis, who presented with subacute knee swelling following a recent episode of pneumonia.

Abstract

ABSTRACT Nocardia asiatica is a rare opportunistic pathogen typically associated with pulmonary and central nervous system infections; however, musculoskeletal infections are uncommon. We report a case of septic arthritis caused by N. asiatica in a 72-year-old man with a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and pneumoconiosis. The patient presented with subacute knee swelling following a recent episode of pneumonia. Gram staining of intraoperative synovial samples revealed branching filamentous organisms, and the isolate was identified as N. asiatica by mass spectrometry. Although the patient was transferred to another center during the initial phase of management, follow-up information obtained after discharge confirmed a favorable clinical recovery without recurrence. Our report contributes to the limited literature on the clinical manifestations, organ tropism, and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns associated with N. asiatica infection.

Read PDF

Similar papers

Review Open access Jun 2026

Nocardia farcinica, as an uncommon cause of subcutaneous infection – Case report and literature review

Abstract Introduction Nocardia is a rare group of opportunistic bacteria that normally causes infections in immunocompromised patients. It can involve multiple organ systems: most frequently the lungs, followed by the skin, central nervous system, bones, and joints. Within this group, Nocardia farcinica is among the mo...

Gabor-Siklodi Szabolcs-Attila, Muresan Mircea Gabriel, Kiss Botond-Istvan et al. · 0 citations
Case report 2026

[The hidden infection: nocardiosis with multiple extra pulmonary foci].

The case of a 48-year-old patient recently diagnosed with HIV and a CD4 lymphocyte count of less than 50 cells/ uL, who consulted for prolonged fever without apparent focus, highlights the importance of considering nocardiosis in the differential diagnosis of prolonged fever with multiple deep lesions in immunocompromi...

María Trinidad Pennini Guelfi, Camilo Martínez, Ana De Lajonquiere et al. · 0 citations
Case report Open access Aug 2026

From Suppurative Inflammation to Fibrotic Remodeling in Cutaneous Nocardiopsis Infection

A 77-year-old woman with a medical history of hypertension and diabetes presented with ulcerated purplish-red nodules on the lower extremities that had persisted for 3 months, and subsequent treatment with oral trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole led to gradual regression of the lesions and scar formation.

Nai-Xuan Lin, Ke-Ke Huang, De-Gang Yang · 0 citations
Case report Aug 2026

Disseminated Nocardia pseudobrasiliensis infection in a case of juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus on immunosuppressive therapy

Nocardiosis is an uncommon infection that presents as a chronic, debilitating illness with radiographic manifestations simulating lung cancer or tuberculosis. Immunocompromised hosts may develop a fulminant disease resembling acute bacterial pneumonia or disseminated disease. We report a case of a juvenile lupus who de...

Kaustav Bhowmick, Angan Karmakar, Dipendranath Ghosh et al. · 0 citations
Case report Open access Sep 2026

Streptococcus intermedius lung abscess in children: a case report and literature review

Streptococcus intermedius is a gram-positive commensal associated with suppurative infections. Pediatric pulmonary abscesses due to S. intermedius are rare, and outcomes in children with severe neurological comorbidities are poorly characterized. A 5-year-old boy with refractory epilepsy and global developmental delay...

Shu-Teng Ou, Shu-Hua Chen, Ting Wang et al. · 0 citations
Review Open access Aug 2026

Pediatric Clostridium septicum infections: a systematic review and case-based perspective

Compared with a 2006 review, rates of STEC-HUS, surgical intervention, overall survival, and absence of gastrointestinal involvement have increased and rates of STEC-HUS, surgical intervention, overall survival, and absence of gastrointestinal involvement have increased.

Frederike Bieling, Jasmin Özcan, Julius Sommer et al. · 0 citations

We use cookies to run the site and, with your consent, for analytics and to show ads. See our Cookie Policy.