The Association of Nocardiosis and Pulmonary Alveolar Proteinosis

Abstract

A case of pulmonary alveolar proteinosis complicated by nocardiosis with dissemination to subcutaneous tissue and brain is reported. Patients with alveolar proteinosis have an increased susceptibility to pulmonary infections. The present report is the seventh of 72 documented cases in which alveolar proteinosis and nocardiosis have occurred in the same patient, and there may have been additional instances of this association which went unrecognized. Although nocardiosis does not appear to be causally related to alveolar proteinosis the relationship is impressive and probably results from the production of specific favorable conditions for implantation and survival of the organism.