CEREBRAL NOCARDIA ABSCESSES IN A PATIENT WITH AIDS - CORRELATION OF MAGNETIC-RESONANCE AND WHITE CELL SCANNING IMAGES WITH NEUROPATHOLOGICAL FINDINGS

We present a case of cerebral nocardiosis in a patient with AIDS. Spac e-occupying lesions were identified using magnetic resonance imaging ( MRI) and white cell scanning. Nocardia asteroides was isolated from bl ood cultures. The patient's response to treatment with amikacin, imipe nem and ceftriaxone was followed clinically and radiologically. When h e died 6 months later, N. asteroides was isolated at post-mortem from a cerebral abscess. Although cerebral infections associated with the i nfiltration of neutrophils are rare in patients with AIDS, this case d emonstrates that indium-labelled neutrophils can be used to identify a brain abcess and monitor its response to antimicrobial therapy.