title: Skin and Soft Tissue Infection due to Rapidly Growing Mycobacteria: Case Series and Literature Review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are ubiquitous in soil and water. Most NTM cause disease in humans only rarely unless some aspect of host defense is impaired. Recently, rapidly growing mycobacteria (RGM) is not uncommon, and the prevalence of RGM infection has been increasing. RGM causes a wide spectrum of pulmonary and extrapulmonary diseases and has been shown as an important source for opportunistic infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  We report 5 patients of skin and soft tissue infection due to RGM in tertiary medical center in Jeju Island and analyzed 21 patients of skin and soft tissue infection due to RGM in Republic of Korea. Clinical, microbiological and epidemiological data were collected from each patient. NTM isolates were identified using conventional and molecular methods including 16S rDNA gene sequencing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of the RGM patients (n=26) was 54.9 ± 15.9 years and 73% were women. Mycobacterium fortuitum complex was the most common (12/26). Antimicrobial resistance for clarithromycin and quinolone were 12% and 60%, respectively. Clarithromycin based therapy was done in 46%. The mean duration of treatment was 21.2 ± 8.7 weeks.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Many cases can be cured after therapy for 4-7 month with at least 2 or 3 antibiotics according to in vitro susceptibility. Recent increasing of NTM cases suggests that species and subspecies identification is epidemiologically important, especially related to medical procedure, and surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Jeju National University School of Medicine, Jeju, Korea.
authors.forename: Jung Re
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Sang Taek
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Heo
authors.forename: Keun Hwa
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jinseok
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jae Kyung
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Sung
authors.forename: Young Ree
authors.initials: YR
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jae Wang
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Kim
keywords: Jeju Island; Rapidly growing mycobacteria; Soft tissue infection