Although M. chelonae abscessus is an extremely rare cause of infection among humans, there seems to be a predominance of cases reported among renal transplant patients. The explanation for this is not entirely clear; however, the organism must be considered as a cause of infection in any renal transplant recipient who presents with subcutaneous nodules. Eradication of the organism presents a tremendous challenge to the clinician, and, as presented here, even with appropriate antibiotics, there is a high rate of recurrence.

We have presented two cases of mid-dermal elastolysis and reviewed the literature. To date, the pathophysiology of mid-dermal elastolysis had not been elucidated and no definitive therapy exists.