title: Cutaneous infection due to Mycobacterium abscessus. A case report.
abstract: Erythematous nodular and ulcerating skin lesions occurred in a 56-year-old woman treated with chemotherapy and glucocorticosteroids for metastatic breast cancer. Subsequent culture yielded Mycobacterium abscessus, a facultative pathogen which exists as a saprophyte in the environment and rarely produces clinical disease in humans. This organism is usually relatively resistant to antituberculous as well as a number of other antimicrobial agents. On the basis of in vitro susceptibility results, treatment with clarithromycin and clofazimine was installed and resolution of the lesions initiated. This report emphasizes once again that one should investigate any new or unusual skin lesions in immunocompromised patients by histology and culture of biopsies, including cultures for acidfast organisms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, University Hospital Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Vogels
authors.forename: V C
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Tjan-Heijnen
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Alkemade
authors.forename: L V
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Beex
authors.forename: H L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Muytjens
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D008875:Middle Aged; D009164:Mycobacterium Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D012874:Skin Diseases, Infectious / Q000382:microbiology*