Chronic cutaneous Mycobacterium haemophilum infection acquired from coral injury

Clin Infect Dis. 2003 Oct 1;37(7):e100-1. doi: 10.1086/377267. Epub 2003 Sep 5.

Abstract

A 61-year-old previously healthy man developed chronic dermal granulomata in his right arm after receiving a coral injury in Thailand. After 7 biopsies, infection caused by Mycobacterium haemophilum was diagnosed. This case highlights the difficulty of isolating this fastidious organism in the laboratory and suggests that seawater or coral was the source of the infection.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Anthozoa / microbiology*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Mycobacterium Infections / microbiology*
  • Mycobacterium haemophilum / isolation & purification*
  • Skin Diseases / microbiology*
  • Thailand
  • Water Microbiology