Am. Grooters et al., SYSTEMIC MYCOBACTERIUM-SMEGMATIS INFECTION IN A DOG, Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 206(2), 1995, pp. 200-202
Rapidly growing atypical mycobacteria are ubiquitous saprophytes that
cause infection when normal host defenses are disrupted. Systemic atyp
ical mycobacteriosis should be considered as a differential diagnosis
when granulomatous soft-tissue inflammation is identified, especially
in the lungs, liver, or lymph nodes. Cytologic identification of acid-
fast organisms associated with granulomatous inflammation is suggestiv
e of mycobacteriosis, but bacteriologic culturing is necessary for def
initive diagnosis and classification of the organism.