Outbreak of Mycobacterium Abscessus Infection After Soft Tissue Augmentation

• Published in: Dermatologic surgery Vol. 29; no. 9; pp. 971 - 973
• Main Authors: Toy, Brian R., Frank, Paul Jarrod
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Science Inc 01.09.2003; by the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, Inc; Blackwell
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Anti-Bacterial Agents - therapeutic use; Bacterial diseases; Bacterial diseases of the skin; Biological and medical sciences; Clarithromycin - therapeutic use; Cosmetic Techniques - adverse effects; Disease Outbreaks; Equipment Contamination; Female; Foreign-Body Reaction - drug therapy; Foreign-Body Reaction - etiology; Fraud; Glucocorticoids - therapeutic use; Human bacterial diseases; Humans; Hyaluronic Acid - administration & dosage; Hyaluronic Acid - adverse effects; Hyaluronic Acid - analogs & derivatives; Infectious diseases; Injections, Subcutaneous; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous - drug therapy; Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous - epidemiology; Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous - etiology; New York City - epidemiology; Prednisone - therapeutic use; Reconstructive Surgical Procedures - adverse effects; Skin plastic surgery; Surgery (general aspects). Transplantations, organ and tissue grafts. Graft diseases; New York City; Human; Skin disease; Increase; Mycobacterial infection; Mycobacterium abscessus; Infection; Case study; Plasty; Treatment; Mycobacteriales; Surgery; Bacteriosis; Mycobacteriaceae; Bacteria; Adult; Complication; Female; Actinomycetes; Soft tissue; Face; Buttock
• ISSN: 1076-0512; 1524-4725
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1524-4725.2003.29262.x

Background. Illicit soft‐tissue augmentation performed in New York City resulted in an outbreak of Mycobacterium abscessus infection in 2002. Objective. To report two cases of women who developed tender, subcutaneous nodules of the face and buttocks after illicit soft‐tissue augmentation with a hyaluronic acid derivative. Methods. Two case reports are presented, and the literature is reviewed. Results. Empiric treatment with clarithromycin (for M. abscessus infection) and prednisone (for foreign body reaction) resulted in clearance of lesions. Conclusion. Contaminated or impure material used for soft‐tissue augmentation can result in a clustered outbreak of infection or foreign body reaction.