GRANULOMATOUS DERMATITIS CAUSED BY MYCOBACTERIUM-GENAVENSE IN 2 PSITTACINE BIRDS

Two cases of cutaneous mycobacteriosis in psittacine birds showing fea therless, non-painful, nonpruritic nodules are described. Histopatholo gical studies of skin biopsies from both cases demonstrated the presen ce of a diffuse granulomatous dermatitis with acid-fast organism s ins ide macrophages, which led to the diagnosis of cutaneous mycobacterios is. In one case, generalization of the process to internal organs (int estinal and hepatic serosae) was observed. Mycobacterial organisms cou ld not be cultured using conventional isolation media (Coletsos and Lo wenstein-Jensen), but polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique perfor med on pathological samples from both birds revealed the presence of M ycobacterium genavense. It is thus proposed that cutaneous mycobacteri osis infections, in particular those caused by M. genavense, should be included in the differential diagnosis of skin nodular processes in p sittacine birds. The usefulness of PCR techniques for aetiological dia gnosis of mycobacterial infections is emphasized.