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Case Reports
. 2022 Aug 12:29:e01599.
doi: 10.1016/j.idcr.2022.e01599. eCollection 2022.

Nocardiosis of the Central Nervous System: A rare complication of COVID management?

Matthew DiMeglio  1 , Hamadullah Shaikh  2 , Jennifer Newman  3 , Gustavo Vazsquez-Rubio  2
Affiliations
Case Reports

Nocardiosis of the Central Nervous System: A rare complication of COVID management?

Matthew DiMeglio et al. IDCases. .

Abstract

This case report examines a previously immunocompetent male that was treated with a prolonged course of corticosteroids for COVID pneumonia. He then returned with worsening headaches followed by flaccid paralysis of extremities due to cerebral and spinal cord abscesses secondary to Nocardia farcinica. A review of the literature on the mechanism of immunosuppression with COVID infection and corticosteroids is provided.

Keywords: COVID-19; Coronavirus; Nocardia farcinica; Nocardiosis.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no potential conflict of interests to report.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Daily equivalent doses of prednisone received throughout hospitalizations.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
MRI brain T1 weighted imaging revealed lesion with ring-enhancement (A) with adjacent edema on T2 weighted imaging (B). MRI cervical spine T1 weighted showed diffuse hypoattenuation consistent with internal necrosis (C) and diffuse hyperattenuation of cervical spine cord on T2 weighted imaging (D).
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
MRI T1 weighted imaging revealing spinal cord hypoattenuation at the skull base with further extension to C5 concerning for internal necrosis (A) and redemonstration of diffuse hyperattenuation on T2 weighted imaging (B).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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