title: Ulcers as a Sign of Skin Infection with Mycobacterium wolinskyi: Report of a Case and Review of the Literature.
abstract: Infection with Mycobacterium wolinskyi, if not detected, may cause severe skin and soft tissue infection with prolonged healing process and is therefore associated with high morbidity. Only about 20 cases of M. wolinskyi infections in humans have been described in the literature until now, none of them in Switzerland. We report a case of an infection in a 72-year-old male patient with recurrent subcutaneous abdominal wall abscesses and ulcer formation after insulin injection in the underbelly. A culture of skin biopsy tissue showed rapid growth of non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), which were identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing as M. wolinskyi. Surgical excision and primary closure of all abdominal ulcers in combination with antibiotic therapy, based on the antimicrobiotic susceptibility test results, were performed and resulted in complete resolution of the clinical symptoms and no recurrence of infection at a 6-month follow-up. The present case emphasizes the importance of accurate diagnosis and treatment of chronic infection with ulcer formation. In such cases, it is crucial to consider the presence of NTM, such as M. wolinskyi, in order to obtain rapid diagnosis, specific treatment and improved patient care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bossart
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schnell
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Katrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kerl
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Mirjana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Urosevic-Maiwald
keywords: Mycobacterium wolinskyi; Non-tuberculous mycobacteria; Rapidly growing mycobacteria; Skin and soft tissue infection