Mycobacterium marinum infection complicated by anti-tumour necrosis factor therapy

• Published in: Journal of medical microbiology Vol. 59; no. 5; pp. 617 - 621
• Main Authors: RAMOS, José M, GARCIA-SEPULCRE, Mariana F, RODRIGUEZ, Juan C, PADILLA, Sergio, GUTIERREZ, Félix
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Reading Society for General Microbiology 01.05.2010
• Subjects: Adult; Antitubercular Agents - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; Crohn Disease - complications; Crohn Disease - drug therapy; Ethambutol - therapeutic use; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Immunosuppressive Agents - adverse effects; Immunosuppressive Agents - therapeutic use; Infectious diseases; Male; Medical sciences; Microbiology; Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous - diagnosis; Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous - microbiology; Mycobacterium marinum - isolation & purification; Rifampin - therapeutic use; Skin - pathology; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - antagonists & inhibitors; Infection; Treatment; Mycobacterium marinum; Mycobacteriales; Tumor necrosis factor; Cytokine; Bacteriosis; Mycobacteriaceae; Bacteria; Actinomycetes; Mycobacterial infection
• ISSN: 0022-2615; 1473-5644
• DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.017277-0

Mycobacteria other than tuberculosis infections in patients taking various tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha inhibitors have been reported in the literature. We describe sporotrichoid spread of Mycobacterium marinum in a man with Crohn's disease treated with infliximab. After starting ethambutol and rifampicin and discontinuing infliximab, a worsening appeared. M. marinum infection may have a potential local spread and systemic dissemination in patients treated with TNF-alpha inhibitors.