Actinomycosis and nocardiosis co-infection in chronic granulomatous disease.

ABSTRACT

Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is an inherited disease of the phagocyte NADPH oxidase system that causes defective production of toxic oxygen metabolites, leading to impaired bacterial and fungal killing, and recurrent life threatening infections; mostly by catalase producing organisms. Nocardiosis in CGD is well described, however actinomycosis is rare. We describe a patient of CGD with actinomycosis and nocardiosis coinfection. A 43-year-old male with history of recurrent discharging sinuses presented with fever, dyspnea and cough. He had multiple discharging sinuses over neck and anterior chest wall. There was only partial response to intravenous penicillin. Needle aspirate from chest wall showed co-infection with actinomyces and nocardia. His nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) reduction test was negative. He was treated with penicillin, amikacin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and had good clinical and radiological response.