[Sporotrichoid infection caused by Nocardia brasiliensis]

A few days after a spine of one of his indoor cacti had pricked the fourth finger of his left hand, a 56-year-old man developed multiple inflammatory suppurating nodules and infiltrates and a cord-like lymphangitis on the left forearm and upper arm. Nocardia brasiliensis was cultivated from aspirated pus. Subsequently, both Nocardia brasiliensis and Nocardia asteroides were isolated from the cactus earth. This is the first report of an infection by Nocardia brasiliensis acquired in Germany.