Journal of Neuro-Ophthalmology, June 2004, Volume 24, Issue 2

Concurrent Sino-Orbital Aspergillosis and Cerebral Nocardiosis

A 79-year-old man with myelodysplastic syndrome developed a right optic neuropathy with optic disc edema and intractable periocular pain, one month after undergoing removal of a gangrenous gallbladder. Although results of a temporal artery biopsy were negative, he was treated with prednisone for presumed temporal arteritis. Attempts at tapering the prednisone dose led to recurrence of periocular pain. On neuro-ophthalmologic evaluation six months after the prednisone treatment was begun, he had developed right fourth and sixth cranial nerve palsies, and magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a right orbital apex mass. Trans-sphenoidal biopsy revealed Aspergillus fumigatus. During treatment of aspergillosis, the patient developed a left hemiparesis. Magnetic resonance imaging disclosed multiple ring-enhancing cerebral masses. Biopsy revealed Nocardia asteroides. The patient was successfully treated for both infections with recovery of neurologic function except for the right optic neuropathy. Although immunocompromised patients are known to be subject to multiple infections, this may be the first reported case of concurrent sino-orbital aspergillosis and cerebral nocardiosis.