title: Aquatic hazard Mycobacterium marinum infection.
abstract: We describe two patients with Mycobacterium marinum infection and review the pertinent literature. M. marinum infection follows trauma, often trivial, in water or from marine life. Clinical manifestations include superficial cutaneous lesions which are either solitary or multiple in a sporotrichoid distribution, involvement of the deeper structures of the hand and wrist and disseminated disease. Biopsy of infected tissue reveals a mixed suppurative-granulomatous reaction with sparse to absent acid-fast bacilli. Definitive diagnosis is achieved by growing the organism from appropriate specimens. Suggested therapeutic regimens consist of rifampin and ethambutol for advanced disease and infection invading the deeper structures of the hand and wrist and one of the tetracyclines or trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole for early or minimal disease. Surgical debridement is advised when there is persistent pain, a discharging sinus or previous local injection of corticosteroids.
authors.affiliation: School of Primary Medical Care, University of Alabama School of Medicine, Huntsville 35801.
authors.forename: L F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Striplin
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Burnside
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001706:Biopsy; D005260:Female; D006229:Hand Dermatoses / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009165:Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D014871:Water Microbiology
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents