A patient with progressive pemphigus vulgaris, while being treated with high dosage corticosteroid therapy, developed pulmonary nocardiosis. She was successfully treated with sulfisoxazole and catheter pulmonary drainage, while corticosteroid therapy was maintained and slowly lowered with improvement of the pemphigus.
The subject of nocardiosis and nocardial infections complicating pemphigus is reviewed. The diagnosis of nocardiosis is of great importance because high and prolonged dosage with sulfonamides is curative in a significant percentage of cases.