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Case Reports
. 2024 Sep 13;24(1):341.
doi: 10.1186/s12883-024-03826-6.

Brain abscesses: the first report of disseminated Nocardia beijingensis infection in an immunocompetent individual in China

Lihong Jin #  1   2   3 , Weiqun Zhang #  2 , Fang Su  3 , Youqi Ji  1   3 , Yumei Ge  4   5
Affiliations
Case Reports

Brain abscesses: the first report of disseminated Nocardia beijingensis infection in an immunocompetent individual in China

Lihong Jin et al. BMC Neurol. .

Abstract

Nocardia is widely distributed in the natural environment and typically cause opportunistic infections. However, it is important to note that the pathogenicity of different Nocardia species may vary significantly. Here we reported the first case of brain abscess caused by Nocardia beijingensis (N. beijingensis) infection in China. A 70-year-old male immunocompetent individual came to our hospital for treatment due to headache. After examination, it was found that he had a brain abscess caused by N. beijingensis. By utilizing a combination of surgical intervention and antibiotic therapy, the patient ultimately achieved full recovery. In addition, we isolated this strain and displayed its ultrastructure through scanning electron microscopy. The phylogenetic tree was analyzed by 16 S rRNA sequence. A literature review of N. beijingensis infections in all immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients was presented. It highlighted that abscess formation appears to be a common manifestation of N. beijingensis infection, and N. beijingensis has become an emerging pathogen in immunocompetent individuals.

Keywords: Nocardia beijingensis (N. beijingensis); Brain abscess; Immunocompetent; Infection; Phylogenetic tree.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
MRI images of the patient’s head. (A) MRI images of the patient upon admission. (B) MRI images of the patient after surgery. (C) MRI images of the patient two weeks after surgery. The locations of Abscess lesions were indicated by the red arrow
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Patient’s etiological results. (A) HE staining section of the patient’s abscess tissue showed inflammatory infiltration. (B) Gram staining of abscess tissue revealed purple bacterial clusters. (C) The abscess tissue was positive for acid fast staining, with visible red hyphae. (D) Under the electron microscope, slender bacterial bodies could be seen in N. beijingensis ZJSRMYY1. (E) Identification peak diagram of N. beijingensis ZJSRMYY1 by mass spectrometry
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Treatment timeline
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Phylogenetic tree of N. beijingensis ZJPPH1
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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