Mycobacterium chelonae infection complicating traumatic and surgical wounds: A case series

Soumya Jagadeesan, V Anilkumar, Vinitha Varghese Panicker, Gopikrishnan Anjaneyan, Jacob Thomas

Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology, and Leprology 2018 84(1):45-48

Mycobacterium chelonae is a rapidly growing non-tuberculous mycobacterium. The skin and soft tissue infections due to this organism are steadily on the rise and need to be delineated specifically as most of these are not responsive to routine antituberculosis treatment. Here, we report 3 different presentations caused by Mycobacterium chelonae in traumatic and surgical wounds. Mycobacterium chelonae can complicate surgical or traumatic wounds.This infection may also present as injection site abscesses. Diabetics on insulin injections are especially at risk. A high index of suspicion is necessary in long standing culture negative lesions for clinching the diagnosis. PCR can be helpful in confirming the diagnosis.