# The Diagnostic Challenges of Disseminated Nocardiosis in a Post-Renal Transplant Patient: A Case Report

**Authors:** Yi Lin, Minqi Xu, Helen Genis, Nisha Andany, Lina Chen

PMC · DOI: 10.3390/reports8030111 · 2025-07-17

## TL;DR

This case report discusses the difficulty in diagnosing disseminated nocardiosis in a post-renal transplant patient and emphasizes the need for combined diagnostic approaches.

## Contribution

The novelty lies in highlighting the integration of microbiological, pathological, and radiographical findings for diagnosing disseminated nocardiosis in immunocompromised patients.

## Key findings

- Disseminated nocardiosis was diagnosed in a post-renal transplant patient with multiple organ lesions.
- Histopathological examination revealed necrotizing granulomas with filamentous microorganisms identified as Nocardia.
- The case underscores the importance of multidisciplinary diagnostic methods in managing rare infections.

## Abstract

Disseminated nocardiosis is a rare, life-threatening infection, often misdiagnosed due to its resemblance to other conditions. We report a case of disseminated nocardiosis in a 62-year-old post-renal transplant patient presenting with pulmonary, hepatic, and pancreatic lesions. Despite multiple negative bacterial cultures, a histopathological examination of the liver revealed necrotizing granulomas with filamentous microorganisms, ultimately identified as Nocardia. This case highlights diagnostic challenges and the importance of integrating microbiological, pathological, and radiographical findings to manage and diagnose disseminated nocardiosis infections in immunocompromised individuals.

## Full-text entities

- **Diseases:** infection (MESH:D007239), pulmonary, hepatic, and pancreatic lesions (MESH:D010182), granulomas (MESH:D006099), Nocardiosis (MESH:D009617)
- **Species:** Nocardia (genus) [taxon 1817], Homo sapiens (human, species) [taxon 9606]

## Figures

3 figures with captions in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12285970/full.md

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12285970