The First Report of Cerebral Nocardiosis Caused by Nocardia terpenica Together With Exiguobacterium profundum Bacteremia

With the widespread use of antibiotics and increasing number of immunocompromised patients, many rare bacterial infections have become increasing. Recently, only a few cases showed central nervous system (CNS) nocardiosis and Exiguobacterium bacteremia. However, the case that CNS nocardiosis together with Exiguobacterium bacteremia has never been reported.

The patient was admitted to a tertiary hospital with CNS infection symptoms. Cerebrospinal fluid and blood were both sent to culture. Pathogens were both isolated from cerebrospinal fluid and blood, following 16s rRNA sequencing, which were finally identified as Nocardia and Exiguobacterium species.

It is the first reported case of CNS Nocardia terpenica infection in a patient without abscess formation in the CNS. Additionally, this patient also had a complex infection involving Exiguobacterium profundum bacteremia