Primary cutaneous nocardiosis caused by Nocardia brasiliensis: isolation, susceptibility, and molecular identification in eight consecutive cases from a tertiary hospital

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Source: Frontiers Medicine

Original: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2026.1803484...

Published: 2026-03-09T00:00:00Z

Primary cutaneous nocardiosis is an infectious disease caused by Gram-positive aerobic bacteria of the genus Nocardia found in the soil[2][5]. Infection occurs by direct inoculation of pathogens from the soil into the skin and subcutaneous tissue, resulting in localized nodular lesions[1]. The diagnosis of this disease is difficult and often not possible using conventional laboratory methods without the use of a specialized MALDI-TOF MS technique[1]. The study retrospectively analyzed eight consecutive cases of primary cutaneous nocardiosis diagnosed in a dermatology department between 2022 and 2025[1]. The main objective was to provide diagnostic knowledge related to culture, staining, mass spectrometry, 16S rRNA sequencing and drug susceptibility testing[1]. Primary cutaneous nocardiosis accounts for approximately 5–8% of all nocardiosis cases and can present in four clinical forms: superficial skin infection, lymphocutaneous infection, mycetoma, or disseminated infection with skin involvement[1].