DISSEMINATED SKIN INFECTION DUE TO MYCOBACTERIUM-FORTUITUM IN AN IMMUNOCOMPETENT PATIENT

Skin infections caused by atypical rapid-growing mycobacteria, which u sed considered to be unusual, have become more frequent, especially in immunodepressed patients. Clinical cutaneous disease with these patho gens seems to follow two patterns: in the immunocompetent host, a trau matic injury is followed by the development of localized abscess forma tion; but in the immunocompromised individual there is no history of t rauma and the patient presents with multiple subcutaneous nodular lesi ons. We describe a rare case of an immunocompetent young woman with di sseminated skin infection due to Mycobacterium fortuitum. We emphasize the diagnostic and therapeutic problems associated with such infectio ns. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.