Non-respiratory tuberculosis with Mycobacterium tuberculosis after penetrating lesions of the skin: five case histories

Tuberculosis is primarily transmitted from person to person via the respira tory route. We describe five cases of patients who developed tuberculosis a t the site of a skin injury: three after being treated repeatedly with loca l corticosteroids via intramuscular injections, and two who cut themselves accidentally with a knife. All cultures yielded normal-sensitive Mycobacter ium tuberculosis, and all patients responded well to anti-tuberculosis trea tment. These unusual manifestations of non-respiratory tuberculosis may sup port the assumption that persistent, painful, reddish and/or fistulous area s of the skin might also indicate an infection caused by M. tuberculosis, v ia either reactivation of pulmonary tuberculosis or primary infection with M. tuberculosis by cutaneous transmission.