Cutaneous Mycobacterium intracellulare infection in an immuno-competent person

• Published in: Acta dermato-venereologica Vol. 93; no. 6; pp. 711 - 714
• Main Authors: Zhou, Lu, Wang, Hong-Sheng, Feng, Su-Ying, Wang, Qiu-Ling
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sweden 01.11.2013
• Subjects: Adult; Antitubercular Agents - therapeutic use; Bacterial Proteins - genetics; Chaperonin 60 - genetics; Clarithromycin - therapeutic use; DNA, Bacterial - analysis; Drug Therapy, Combination; Ethambutol - therapeutic use; Humans; Immunocompetence; Male; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Mycobacterium avium Complex - drug effects; Mycobacterium avium Complex - genetics; Mycobacterium avium Complex - isolation & purification; Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare Infection - drug therapy; Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare Infection - immunology; Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare Infection - microbiology; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Ribotyping; Rifampin - therapeutic use; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S - genetics; Skin - drug effects; Skin - immunology; Skin - microbiology; Skin - pathology; Skin Diseases, Bacterial - drug therapy; Skin Diseases, Bacterial - immunology; Skin Diseases, Bacterial - microbiology
• ISSN: 0001-5555; 1651-2057
• DOI: 10.2340/00015555-1595

Mycobacterium intracellulare-caused pulmonary infections have mostly been reported in immunocompromised hosts, while cutaneous M. intracellulare infections are rare. We describe here an immunocompetent patient with cutaneous lesions due to M. intracellulare, which was diagnosed by acid-fast staining, in vitro culture, histopathology, and PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis and gene sequencing of heat-shock protein (hsp) 65 and 16S rDNA genes. In vitro susceptibility testing was also carried out and the patient was successfully treated with clarithromycin, rifampicin, and ethambutol.