2000 Volume 74 Issue 3 Pages 274-277
A 64 years old woman without systemic immunological disorders was admitted to our hospital because of a productive cough, low grade fever and bloody sputum. Chest X-ray revealed multiple nodules with calcification, infiltrates and bronchiectasis. Laboratory findings showed mild hypoproteinemia and elevated sedimentation rate. Both Nocardia farcinica and Mycobacterium intracellulare were isolated from the bronchial lavage fluid. Administration of sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim improved her symptoms. In a recurrent study of bronchial lavage N. farcinica was not isolated, but M. intracellurale was still isolated. We believe that N. farcinica may cause infectious exacerbation of chronic lung disease: non-tuberculous mycobacteriosis and bronchiectasis.
