Nocardial infections: report of 22 cases Infecções por Nocardia species: relato de 22 casos

Twenty-two cases of nocardial infections were diagnosed in our city between 1977- 1998. All patients whose clinical specimens showed Nocardia spp. at Gram stain, which were further confirmed by culture, were selected to be included in the study. Data from patients who were cured were compared with those from patients who died by statistical tests using EPIINFO version 6.04 software. Six isolates were identified as Nocardia asteroides complex, one as Nocardia asteroides sensu stricto and other as Nocardia brasiliensis. We had 17 cases of lung nocardiosis, being one out of them also a systemic disease. Other four cases of systemic nocardiosis were diagnosed: nocardial brain abscesses (one); nocardiosis of the jejunum (one); multiple cutaneous abscesses (one); and a case of infective nocardial endocarditis of prosthetic aortic valve. One patient had a mycetoma by N. brasiliensis. Fifteen (68.2%) out of 22 patients were immunosuppressed, being most (93.3%) by high-doses corticotherapy. Mortality by nocardial infection was 41%; mortality of systemic nocardiosis was 60%. Nocardiosis has a bad prognosis in immunosuppressed patients and also in non-immunosuppressed patients if the diagnosis is delayed. We propose that the delay in diagnosis should be examined in larger series to document its influence in the prognosis of the disease.São apresentados 22 casos de infecção por Nocardia species entre 1977 e 1998, apresentando-se seu quadro clínico e evolução. Todos os pacientes cujos espécimes clínicos mostraram microorganismos sugestivos de Nocardia spp. à coloração de Gram, confirmados posteriormente por cultura, foram incluídos no estudo. Os dados dos pacientes que obtiveram cura foram comparados com aqueles dos pacientes que foram a óbito pelo programa EPIINFO versão 6.04; nível de significância menor que 5% foi considerado estatisticamente significativo. Foram obtidos 22 casos de infecção por Nocardia spp.: seis isolamentos identificados como Nocardia asteroides complex, um como Nocardia asteroides sensu stricto e outro como Nocardia brasiliensis, enquanto os restantes foram identificados como Nocardia spp. Tivemos 17 casos de nocardiose pulmonar (um com disseminação). Tivemos outros quatro casos de nocardiose sistêmica: múltiplos abscessos cerebrais (um); endocardite infecciosa de prótese valvular aórtica (um); nocardiose de intestino delgado (um); abscessos cutâneos múltiplos por Nocardia spp (um). Um paciente apresentou micetoma por Nocardia brasiliensis. Imun