Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Search research articles

Related Experiment Videos

Nocardial meningitis: case reports and review.

J E Bross¹, G Gordon

¹Department of Infectious Disease, Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, Pennsylvania 17822.

Reviews of Infectious Diseases

|January 1, 1991

Summary

Nocardial meningitis, a serious central nervous system infection, often presents subtly and is frequently linked to underlying conditions. Early diagnosis is critical, as delayed identification and treatment significantly increase mortality rates.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Survey of Maternity Unit Guidelines regarding Formula Supplementation of Breastfed Babies.

Irish medical journal·2025

Same author

Match loads of university rugby union players between the 2016 and 2018 Varsity Cup competitions.

South African journal of sports medicine·2023

Same author

Corrigendum to "Efficacy of a social support and problem-solving intervention on heart failure self-care: A pilot study" [Patient Educ. Couns. 101 (2018) 266-275].

Patient education and counseling·2019

Same author

Age estimation accuracies from black South African os coxae.

Homo : internationale Zeitschrift fur die vergleichende Forschung am Menschen·2018

Same author

Radiology-led lung escalation pathway: a streamlined innovative service expediting the diagnosis of lung cancer.

Clinical radiology·2017

Same author

Efficacy of a social support and problem-solving intervention on heart failure self-care: A pilot study.

Patient education and counseling·2017

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Infectious Diseases
Microbiology

Background:

Nocardial infections of the central nervous system (CNS) are rare but serious, often presenting as meningitis.
Predisposing conditions are common in patients with nocardial meningitis, highlighting the importance of considering this diagnosis in immunocompromised individuals.

Observation:

A review of 28 cases of nocardial meningitis revealed that Nocardia was cultured from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in 21 instances.
Typical symptoms include subacute to chronic meningitis with fever, stiff neck, and headache.
Cerebrospinal fluid analysis often shows neutrophilic pleocytosis, hypoglycorrhachia, and elevated protein levels.

Findings:

Brain abscesses were present in 43% of cases, associated with more severe neurological deficits and higher CSF white blood cell counts.
The overall mortality rate was 57%, with higher survival rates in younger patients with lower CSF glucose levels and no brain abscess.
Diagnosis was frequently delayed, with nocardial infection rarely suspected before positive cultures or autopsy.

Implications:

This study underscores the diagnostic challenges and high mortality associated with nocardial meningitis.
Emphasizes the need for increased clinical suspicion and prompt diagnostic workup, especially in patients with predisposing factors.
Highlights the importance of early recognition and treatment to improve patient outcomes in these severe CNS infections.

Related Experiment Videos