Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40221647›Full record

ArticleBMC infectious diseases2025

Concurrent invasive disseminated Nocardia farcinica and Candida infections in a patient undergoing long-term glucocorticoid therapy for autoimmune thrombocytopenia: a case report.

Naiju Zhang, Hehe Dou, Pu Guo, Jiangtao Sun, Fan Zhang, Tianping Chen, Chunming Gao, Zhenjie Wang

Abstract readCase Reports
In one paragraph

Article in BMC infectious diseases, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Multiple Deep Abscesses Caused by DisseminatedInfection and drug resistance · 2026
    Article
  2. Overexpression of the major facilitator superfamily efflux pump geneFrontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Naiju Zhang *Department of Pharmacy, First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical University, Anhui Engineering Technology Research Center of Biochemical Pharmaceutical, Bengbu, 233004, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2671-8910
Hehe Dou *Department of Emergency Surgery, Institute of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical University, No. 287, Changhuai Road, Longzi Lake District, Bengbu, Anhui, 233004, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4817-6270
Pu GuoDepartment of Laboratory Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical University, Bengbu, 233004, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3894-4288
Jiangtao SunDepartment of Osteology, Suixi County Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Suixi, 235100, China.
Fan ZhangDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, 210008, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5878-4536
Tianping ChenDepartment of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical University, No. 287, Changhuai Road, Longzi Lake District, Bengbu, Anhui, 233004, China. 724593321@qq.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7707-1902
Chunming GaoDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Branch of National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical University, No. 287, Changhuai Road, Longzi Lake District, Bengbu, Anhui, 233004, China. by21155@163.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5097-954X
Zhenjie WangDepartment of Emergency Surgery, Institute of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical University, No. 287, Changhuai Road, Longzi Lake District, Bengbu, Anhui, 233004, China. ahbyfywzj@163.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8676-3038

Funding

Domestic Visiting Training Program for Outstanding Young Backbone Teachers gxgnfx2022035Open project of Anhui Biochemical Drug Engineering Technology Research Center in 2023 2023SYKFZ05
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundNocardia farcinica is a virulent organism known for its high resistance to many antibiotics and its ability to cause disseminated life-threatening infections, particularly in immunocompromised patients or those undergoing organ transplantation. Candida albicans can cause disseminated candidiasis with a mortality rate ranging from 30% to 60%. Cases involving concurrent disseminated N. farcinica and C. albicans, particularly in patients with autoimmune thrombocytopenia, are extremely rare. The presence of two disseminated pathogens complicates both diagnosis and treatment, creating substantial challenges for healthcare providers. CASE PRESENTATION: A 50-year-old woman who had a history of autoimmune thrombocytopenia and was being treated with prednisone (60 mg qd). She presented with a 40-day history of high-grade fevers (40℃), cough, headache, and multiple abscesses in the skin structure. N. farcinica was found in her skin structure, cerebrospinal fluid, and blood, and C. albicans was cultured in cerebrospinal fluid, sputum, and urine. She was diagnosed with disseminated nocardiosis and disseminated candidiasis. The patient received a prolonged course of multiple anti-bacterial and anti-fungal medications and eventually recovered.

conclusionsDue to the atypical clinical presentations, the diagnosis of concurrent invasive disseminated N. farcinica and C. albicans infections might be delayed. A variety of diagnostic testing, including metagenomics next-generation sequencing, can help to identify the pathogen rapidly. Drug susceptibility test can guide the selection and adjustment of antibiotics, which should be in companion with surgical interventions to save lives in affected patients.

Indexed as

CandidiasisCoinfectionGlucocorticoidsNocardiaNocardia InfectionsPurpura, Thrombocytopenic, IdiopathicAnti-Bacterial AgentsAntifungal AgentsCandida albicansFemaleHumansImmunocompromised HostMiddle AgedPrednisoneAnti-Bacterial AgentsAntifungal AgentsGlucocorticoidsPrednisoneAntimicrobial susceptibilityAutoimmune thrombocytopeniaCandida albicansCase reportDisseminated infectionNocardia farcinica

Identifiers

PMID40221647
PMCPMC11994016

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.