Nocardia Infections in the Immunocompromised Host: A Case Series and Literature Review
Emanuele Palomba, Arianna Liparoti, Anna Tonizzo, Valeria Castelli, Laura Alagna, Giorgio Bozzi, Riccardo Ungaro, Antonio Muscatello, Andrea Gori, Alessandra Bandera
Abstract
Nocardia is primarily considered an opportunistic pathogen and affects patients with impaired immune systems, solid-organ transplant recipients (SOTRs), and patients with haematologic malignancies. We present the cases of six patients diagnosed with nocardiosis at our center in the last two years, describing the various predisposing conditions alongside the clinical manifestation, the diagnostic workup, and the treatment course. Moreover, we propose a brief literature review on Nocardia infections in the immunocompromised host, focusing on SOTRs and haematopoietic stem cell transplantation recipients and highlighting risk factors, clinical presentations, the diagnostic tools available, and current treatment and prophylaxis guidelines.