BACKGROUND: Nocardia is an ubiquitous soil organism. As an opportunistic pathogen, inhalation and skin inoculation are the most common routes of infection. Lungs and skin are the most frequent sites of nocardiosis. Testis is a highly unusual location for nocardiosis.
METHODS: We report the case of an immunocompromised 75-year-old-man admitted for fever of unknown origin. He presented with skin lesions after gardening and was first suspected of Mediterranean spotted fever, but he did not respond to doxycycline. Then, physical examination revealed new left scrotal swelling that was compatible with a diagnosis of epididymo-orchitis. The patient\'s condition did not improve despite empirical antibiotic treatment with the onset of necrotic scrotal abscesses requiring surgery. Nocardia brasiliensis yielded from the removed testis culture. High-dose trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and ceftriaxone were started. Multiple micro-abscesses were found in the brain and spinal cord on imaging studies. After 6 weeks of dual antibiotic therapy for disseminated nocardiosis, slight regression of the brain abscesses was observed. The patient was discharged after a 6-month course of antibiotics and remained relapse-free at that time of writing these lines. Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole alone is meant to be pursued for 6 months thereafter. We undertook a literature review on previously reported cases of genitourinary and urological nocardiosis; to date, only 36 cases have been published with predominately involvement of kidney, prostate and testis.
CONCLUSIONS: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of Nocardia brasiliensis simultaneously infecting skin, testis, brain and spinal cord in an immunocompromised patient. Knowledge on uncommon forms of nocardiosis remains scarce. This case report highlights the difficulty of diagnosing atypical nocardiosis and the importance of prompt bacteriological sampling in case of empirical antibiotics failure.

A scrotal abscess following perforated appendicitis is a rare complication. This is mostly seen in children and usually occurs due to the presence of the patent processus vaginalis, which permits the passage of pus from the intra-abdominal cavity down to the scrotum, resulting in a scrotal pyocele. There are few reported cases of such complications in young adult patients. We report a case of a 50-year-old male with a scrotal pyocele following exploratory laparotomy for perforated appendicitis. Scrotal ultrasound (US) findings were suggestive of a right-sided scrotal abscess, and the CT scan showed prominent fat in the proximal part of the right inguinal canal, which suggested the presence of a partially patent processus vaginalis. Our case is the first reported in the middle-aged group, and our review of the literature is the first directed to the adult age group. This review emphasizes the importance of considering scrotal pyocele in any patient with acute scrotum post-appendectomy, regardless of the patient\'s age, the affected side, and the presence or absence of identifiable patent processus vaginalis, as it may be microscopically permeable. Treatment will entail urgent drainage of the abscess, together with a course of antibiotics.

Penile cancer is a very rare malignancy and it is usually identified as a nodule or an ulceration. We report a case of locally advanced penile cancer presented as a urethral stricture and recurrent scrotal abscess. The patient had been treating for obstructive voiding symptoms and septic condition for 5 months. Because of persistent symptoms, a drainage of the abscess was performed and the histopathological examination showed infiltrating moderately differentiated squamous cell carcinoma of penis. He underwent a surgical Emasculation followed by the administration of a combination of chemotherapy (paclitaxel, ifosfamide, and cisplatin). We highlight the importance of including penile cancer in the differential diagnosis of scrotal abscess and urethral stricture. A multimodal approach is an effective strategy to manage the disease.