title: Mycobacterium monacense: a mycobacterial pathogen that causes infection of the hand.
abstract: We present a report of a diabetic patient with an infection of his left thumb and thenar eminence. Standard cultures of drainage and tissue biopsy were unrevealing. The infection progressed despite empiric antibacterial agent therapy and multiple debridements. Two intraoperative tissue biopsies revealed a yellow-pigmented, rapidly growing Mycobacterial nontuberculous species. The organism was identified as Mycobacterium monacense, a newly described species. The patient was cured with a 6-week course of clarithromycin and levofloxacin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Aurele
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Taieb
authors.forename: Ryosuke
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ikeguchi
authors.forename: Victor L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: John D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Rihs
authors.forename: Meenu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Joyce
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wolfe
authors.forename: Ronit
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wollstein
mesh_terms: D006225:Hand; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009165:Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000628:therapy; D009170:Nontuberculous Mycobacteria; D017192:Skin Diseases, Bacterial / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000628:therapy