15 May 2026
: Case report 
A 56-Year-Old Woman With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus on Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole Prophylaxis Presenting With Breakthrough Nocardiosis
Unusual clinical course, Challenging differential diagnosis, Unusual or unexpected effect of treatment
Ming Lu BCE 1,2, Jingwen Zhang BCF 3,4, Ying Liu CD 5, Feng Nie BC 6,4, Tianyu Zou BC 1,4, Haijun Li CD 7, Ping Li ABEG 1,2*, Tianxin Xiang ABEF 2,6DOI: 10.12659/AJCR.952006
Am J Case Rep 2026; 27:e952006
Figure 4 Weak acid-fast staining of N. africana/nova complex from the patient’s biopsy specimen. The microorganisms display a delicate, branching, filamentous morphology typical of Nocardia species. Stained a faint purple color, they exhibit weak acid-fast positivity, a key diagnostic feature that distinguishes Nocardia from other bacteria.