Chronic pneumonia caused by Rhodococcus equi in a patient without impaired immunity

Abstract

A 48 year old, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-negative, immunocompetent male patient had a chronic progressive pulmonary infiltrate, without radiological cavitation, in the middle lobe of the right lung produced by Rhodococcus equi. He reported direct contact with a diseased dog. The patient was diagnosed by thoracotomy and treated by lobectomy. After 16 months of follow-up, the patient was asymptomatic and had neither recurrence nor immunological disturbances.