Oerskovia xanthineolytica bacteremia in an immunocompromised patient with pneumonia

Oerskovia species, which are Nocardia-like bacteria that have rarely been found to cause human disease, are usually found in association with a foreign body with removal of the infected focus being necessary for cure. We present a case of Oerskovia xanthineolytica bacteremia in a patient with metastatic breast cancer, community-acquired pneumonia, and a tunneled subcutaneous central venous catheter. Although the actual source of the bacteremia in this case is not proven, this patient's presentation with apparent lobar pneumonia and her improvement on antibiotics without catheter removal suggest that Oerskovia may be capable of causing primary pulmonary infection in the immunocompromised host.