Disseminated Nocardia farcinica infection presenting as a paravertebral abscess in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus

Disseminated Nocardia infections occur particularly in immunosuppressed hosts and are most often due to Nocardia farcinica, Nocardia nova, and Nocardia cyriacigeorgica. Here, we report an unusual case of disseminated N. farcinica infection presenting as a paravertebral abscess in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus.