Laryngeal Nocardia: A Case Report.
Olivia Singleton, Grant Owen, Emily Wright et al.
✦ AI-curated · Sources linked
Case in brief
An immunosuppressed patient presented with an obstructive laryngeal mass, for which malignancy was a key diagnostic consideration. Biopsy findings did not suggest malignancy, and the case was diagnosed as laryngeal nocardiosis. The report highlights an infectious cause of an obstructive laryngeal lesion and emphasizes that considering infection in the differential may help avoid delayed treatment and airway compromise.
What made this case unusual
Laryngeal nocardiosis presented as an obstructive mass in an immunosuppressed patient, mimicking a lesion for which malignancy would commonly be considered.
Diagnostic / clinical pearl
An obstructive laryngeal mass in an immunosuppressed patient is not necessarily malignant; infectious etiologies should remain in the differential, particularly when biopsy does not support malignancy.
Why it matters
The authors note that earlier consideration of infection may reduce treatment delays, airway compromise, and mortality.