Nocardial cerebral abscess in the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

J. C. Adair, A. C. Beck, R. I. Apfelbaum and J. R. Baringer

Nocardial cerebral abscess is an unusual neurologic manifestation of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. A 20-year-old woman with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome presented with headache and fever. Nocardia asteroides was cultured from a stereotaxic brain biopsy specimen. Despite antibiotic therapy to which the pathogen was sensitive, resolution of the abscess followed only after complete surgical excision.