Otomastoiditis caused by Rhodococcus equi in a patient with AIDS.

Rhodococcus equi is a well-recognized pathogen in veterinary medicine and a rare but well-documented cause of cavitary pneumonia in immunocompromised patients. Most cases of Rhodococcus equi infections in these patients involve the lungs. Otomastoiditis due to Rhodococcus equi is rare, and disseminated Rhodococcus equi with otomastoiditis has never been reported. We report a case of otomastoiditis with systemic dissemination due to Rhodococcus equi in a patient with AIDS.