title: [Aquariums and mycobacterioses].
abstract: Mycobacterium infections are increasingly reported in fish fanciers who keep an aquarium. Inoculation occurs on abraded skin after an incubation period of 2 to 3 weeks. Clinically papulo-nodules, ulcers or verrucous plaques develop. These may progress into sporotrichoid lesions or into deeper infections involving tendons and bone. Cultural identification is obtained by biopsy specimen at low temperature (30-33 degrees C). Faster identification may be performed by polymerase chain reaction. Histopathologic examination is characterized by a nonspecific inflammatory infiltrate in the acute phase. In chronic lesions the histopathologic pattern is a tuberculoidlike granuloma. No absolute consensus has been reached for the treatment but generally it is started with minocycline. Other antibiotics (cotrimoxazole, quinolones, clarithromycine, ethambutol in association) have made their proof.
authors.affiliation: Service de Dermatologie, C.H.U. Saint Pierre, U.L.B.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kiesch
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D001706:Biopsy; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy* / Q000635:transmission; D006686:Hobbies; D006801:Humans; D009165:Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy* / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary; D019910:Mycobacterium marinum; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017192:Skin Diseases, Bacterial / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy* / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary; D013997:Time Factors; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000209:etiology / Q000635:transmission