title: Bilateral sporotrichoid lymphocutaneous dermatosis in a drug abuser: case report and review of the literature.
abstract: Bilateral sporotrichoid mycobacterial cutaneous infection is unusual and has been reported in only three cases involving different species and with an unknown route of infection in the literature.We report a case of bilateral sporotrichoid dermatosis in an immunocompetent patient with a history of intravenous heroin injection before development of the skin lesions. Both special stain and culture of biopsy specimen were negative. Finally, Mycobacterium fortuitum was identified by a polymerase chain reaction-based method. The patient responded well to clarithromycin and ciprofloxacin therapy. This case represents an unusual primary cutaneous M. fortuitum infection manifested as bilateral sporotrichoid lesions of the limbs. Review of previous reported cases of bilateral sporotrichoid mycobacterial infection shows different isolated organisms and routes of infection to that found in our case.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang-Gung University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shyue-Luen
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Wen-Hung
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Yu-Huei
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Hong-Shang
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Hong
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002939:Ciprofloxacin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017291:Clarithromycin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D055030:Drug Users; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009165:Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D019907:Mycobacterium fortuitum / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010146:Pain / Q000382:microbiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D002939:Ciprofloxacin; D017291:Clarithromycin