Pulmonary nocardiosis--a rare case of pulmonary nocardiosis in an immunocompetent patient.

Nocardiosis is localised or disseminated infection caused by soil dwelling aerobic actinomycetes, which habitually enter through the respiratory tract. There has been an increase in the incidence of nocardia species infections probably due to higher degree of clinical suspicion, aggressive diagnostic examinations, increased use of immunosuppressive treatments (chemotherapy agents and immunosuppressive agents) and the appearance of AIDS. Here we are presenting an atypical case of Nocardia asteroides in a 45-years-old immunocompetent female patient presenting with history of cough with scanty expectoration, haemoptysis and fever for 4 months. Clinical and radiological diagnostic consideration were tuberculosis and malignancy. Diagnosis of nocardiosis was confirmed microbiologically and the patient responded to cotrimoxazole.