title: Facial Skin Lesions in Children Caused by Nontuberculous Mycobacteria.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nontuberculous mycobacteria rarely cause facial skin lesions in immunocompetent children.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  I describe the clinical features and treatment of nontuberculous mycobacteria facial lesions.
  
  
  METHODS
  The diagnosis of a facial nontuberculous mycobacteria infection was established using polymerase chain reaction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 286 children with confirmed nontuberculous mycobacteria infection, 14 (4.9%; median age 50 mos, range 9-156 mos; 5 [36%] male, 9 [64%] female) had nontuberculous mycobacteria facial skin lesions. Six (43%) had lesions on the cheek and five (36%) in the medial eye corner. Polymerase chain reaction results confirmed the presence of Mycobacterium haemophilum in eight patients (57%) and Mycobacterium avium in six patients (43%). The facial lesions were treated using a combination of clarithromycin and rifabutin for 12 weeks, with a median healing time of 4 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nontuberculous mycobacteria facial lesions are rare in immunocompetent children. The diagnosis requires a high index of suspicion. Nonsurgical treatment is preferable, because surgical excision of the cutaneous lesions might lead to undesirable visible facial scars.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Amstelland Hospital Amstelveen and Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jerome A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Lindeboom
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017291:Clarithromycin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005148:Facial Dermatoses / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009165:Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D009162:Mycobacterium avium / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018393:Mycobacterium haemophilum / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017828:Rifabutin / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D004338:Drug Combinations; D017828:Rifabutin; D017291:Clarithromycin