Pulmonary Nocardiosis in a Patient with Lupus Nephritis / 대한류마티스학회지

ABSTRACT

Nocardiosis is uncommon in healthy people, but occurs as an opportunistic infection in patients with connective tissue disease, solid organ transplantation, lung disease, malignancies, and the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Nocardia is a gram positive, variably acid-fast aerobic bacterium of the family Nocardiaceae characterized by branching and filamentous growth, with distinctive aerial hyphae. In systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients, immunosuppressiion with cytotoxic drugs or corticosteroids, proteinuria, renal insufficiency, and active SLE itself are known as risk factors for serious bacterial infections and opportunistic infections. We report a case of pulmonary Nocardiosis in patient with lupus nephritis treated with cyclophosphamide and high dose corticosteroid.