CUTANEOUS INFECTION BY MYCOBACTERIUM-GORD ONAE - CASE-REPORT AND LITERATURE-REVIEW

Mycobacterium gordonae is an atypical mycobacterium of very low pathog enic potential. It is widely distributed in soil and water and often d etected on the mucous membranes of healthy persons. In recent years, t here have been numerous reports of infections by M. gordonae in immuno compromised patients. In contrast, only four cases of skin infections by M. gordonae in immunocompetent patients have been published. We rep ort on another patient without evidence of immunodeficiency who develo ped an atypical mycobacteriosis after a thorn Injury during gardening. M. gordonae was isolated by tissue culture. The skin lesion cleared c ompletely after treatment with doxycycline for three months.