First case of Nocardia nova spinal abscess in an immunocompetent patient

ABSTRACT

Nocardia are a group of aerobic actinomycetes that are filamentous gram-positive, weakly acid-fast, and cause opportunistic infection in immunocompromised patients. Primary Nocardia infection mostly involves lung, skin and less commonly, the central nervous system (CNS). Among Nocardia CNS infections, spinal infection is extremely rare. We describe the first case of a spinal abscess caused by Nocardia nova in an immunocompetent patient who experienced a penetrating facial injury six months earlier. Nocardia species were isolated from intradural spinal abscesses and identified by 16S rRNA, hsp65 and secA1 sequence analyses. Surgical excision and treatment with amikacin, cefotaxime, and oral erythromycin was successful.