SPONTANEOUS RESOLUTION OF RHODOCOCCAL PULMONARY INFECTION IN A LIVER-TRANSPLANT RECIPIENT

Pulmonary infection by Rhodococcus equi is characterized by indolent i nfection in an immunocompromised host with a propensity to form cavita ry lesions, Mortality can be greater than 50%; treatment involves prol onged therapy with multiple antibiotics and, occasionally, surgical re section. Recurrence is common. We report a case of a liver transplant patient with a pulmonary nodule caused by R equi; the nodule followed a benign clinical course and resolved spontaneously, This case illustr ates that the spectrum of disease caused by R equi is not fully apprec iated and that significant pitfalls complicate the diagnosis and manag ement of infection by this unusual and probably underrecognized pathog en.