Rhodococcus equi pneumonia in a renal transplant patient: a case report and review of literature. 2004

Basant Arya, and Syed Hussian, and Sundaram Hariharan
Medical College of Wisconsin, West Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.

Immunocompromised patients are susceptible to many pathogens, including those that are predominantly problems in veterinary medicine. We report a case of a 42-yr-old white male who presented 19 months post-cadaveric renal transplant (for IgA nephropathy) with a 5 d history of nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramping and diarrhea. Admission chest X-ray revealed a suspicious mass lesion in the left lower lobe. Computed tomography (CT) guided biopsy of the lesion showed a large zone of CD68 +ve histiocytes in a non-caseating granuloma. Gram stain revealed multiple gram-positive rods within the histiocytes, which were eventually identified as R. equi. After 4 months of therapy with fluoroquinolones (Avelox) and Azithromycin a repeat CT showed complete resolution of the lesion. We reviewed the literature with special focus on the clinical features, challenges in diagnosis, and treatment of this rare infection (especially in the transplant patients who are also on immunosuppressive therapy).

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000193 Actinomycetales Infections Infections with bacteria of the order ACTINOMYCETALES. Actinomycete Infections,Infections, Actinomycetales,Infections, Actinomycete,Actinomycetales Infection,Actinomycete Infection,Infection, Actinomycetales,Infection, Actinomycete
D000328 Adult A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available. Adults
D016030 Kidney Transplantation The transference of a kidney from one human or animal to another. Grafting, Kidney,Renal Transplantation,Transplantation, Kidney,Transplantation, Renal,Kidney Grafting,Kidney Transplantations,Renal Transplantations,Transplantations, Kidney,Transplantations, Renal
D016929 Rhodococcus equi A species of RHODOCOCCUS found in soil, herbivore dung, and in the intestinal tract of cows, horses, sheep, and pigs. It causes bronchopneumonia in foals and can be responsible for infection in humans compromised by immunosuppressive drug therapy, lymphoma, or AIDS. Corynebacterium equi
D018410 Pneumonia, Bacterial Inflammation of the lung parenchyma that is caused by bacterial infections. Bacterial Pneumonia,Bacterial Pneumonias,Pneumonias, Bacterial

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