Posterior fossa Nocardia abscess in an immunosuppressed patient: A noteworthy case report and review of the literature

Brain abscess due to Nocardia is a rare condition, usually found in immunosuppressed patients, and previous reports have shown its occurrence mostly in the supratentorial compartment. We have analysed a case of cerebellar Nocardial abscess mimicking an ischaemic stroke with a review of the literature. A case report of a patient with a cerebellar abscess and a literature review were sourced from PubMed from 1990 to the present. We present a case of an elderly patient with chronic myeloid leukaemia (post-imatinib in remission) with nephrotic syndrome presenting with symptoms suggestive of ischaemic stroke. Brain magnetic resonance imaging showed a large loculated cystic lesion in the right cerebellar hemisphere with a mass effect. He underwent surgery, and a pus culture grew Nocardia farcinica , which was sensitive to linezolid and resistant to imipenem. Early diagnosis and appropriate therapy contributed to a successful outcome, as this was a rare case of posterior fossa abscess mimicking ischaemic stroke.