[Clinical significance of the isolation of rapidly growing mycobacteria].
BACKGROUND
To assess the clinical significance of the isolates of rapid-growing mycobacteria in a Universitary hospital from Madrid (Spain).


METHODS
Review of medical records from patients with isolates of rapid-growing mycobacteria identified between 1979 and 1996 in the Microbiology department of the Fundación Jiménèz Díaz (Madrid, Spain).


RESULTS
Rapid-growing mycobacteria were isolated from 28 patients during the study period (13 M. chelonae, 10 M. fortuitum, 2 M. mucogenicum, 1 M. marinum, 1 M. smegmatis and 1 M. flavascens). Clinical records of 26 patients were reviewed, being the isolate significative in 10 cases (5 soft tissue infections, 2 peritonitis in patients undergoing Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis [CAPD], 1 urinary tract infection, 1 osteomyelitis and 1 catheter-related soft-tissue infection). No patient was HIV+. All infections cured except 2 of them (the urinary tract infection and the osteomyelitis). Catheter withdrawal was needed in 3 cases (peritonitis in CAPD and catheter-related soft-tissue infection), apart from proper antimicrobial therapy.


CONCLUSIONS
The most frequent rapid-growing mycobacteria isolated were those of the M. fortuitum complex. In our experience, isolation of rapid-growing mycobacteria from skin and soft-tissue samples was usually clinically significant, while isolates from respiratory tract, gut and blood cultures are always nonsignificant.
Esteban
J
J
Servicio de Microbiología Médica y Dermatología, Fundación Jiménez Diaz, Madrid.
Gutiérrez
F
F
Fariña
M C
MC
Martín-Moreno
L
L
Requena
L
L
Jiménez-Arriero
M
M
Soriano
F
F
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005499:Folliculitis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009165:Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D009170:Nontuberculous Mycobacteria / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009928:Organ Specificity; D010019:Osteomyelitis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D010538:Peritonitis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013045:Species Specificity; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology