Fatal pulmonary infection due to Mycobacterium fortuitum.

Abstract

Environmental (atypical, opportunist, other) mycobacteria were first isolated nearly a century ago.

Isolation, PCR based identification, and sensitivity pattern of environmental mycobacteria from leprosy and tuberculosis patients

“…These mycobacteria are non-pathogenic to guinea pigs and are (14). It is not appreciated how common are the environmental mycobacteria in nature and how they could influence the health of human population (11)(12)(13)(14).1n the present investigation we have evaluated the possibilities of using PCR to type the mycobacteria at the genus level and also to rule out Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in the leprosy patients. All the isolates tested positive for Mycobacterium with the genus specific probe.…”

“…Innate resistance to antibiotics has been reported in several of these environmental mycobacteria. Reports from many parts of the world have emphasised that the frequency of mycobacteria other than tuberculosis is increasing in both actual numbers and in the proportion of total mycobacterial disease (7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15). Therefore, the environmental mycobacteria could significantly influence the control strategies of mycobacterial diseases like leprosy and tuberculosis particularly in the context of the global re-emergence of tuberculosis, emergence of mul@drug resistance in leprosy and tuberculosis and our lack of knowledge of the exact mechanism of pathogenesis and immune insufficiency in these two dreaded scourges of human health.…”

Pleural effusion in an immunocompetent woman caused by Mycobacterium fortuitum

“…However, M. fortuitum infrequently causes pulmonary disease and basal pleural disease with effusion is rare, despite the fact that M. fortuitum is often described as a commensal pathogen of the respiratory tract (Hand & Sanford, 1970). M. fortuitum in the pulmonary tissue can, however, cause pneumonia, empyema (Wallace et al, 1985) and abscess (Vadakekalam & Ward, 1991), although, when pulmonary infection occurs, it is usually superimposed onto a pre-existing lung disease, such as tuberculosis (Ichiyama & Tsukamura, 1987;Nussbaum & Heseltine, 1990); bronchiectasis, cystic fibrosis, pneumoconiosis or pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (Wallace et al, 1983); chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (Lessing & Walker, 1993); exogenous lipoid pneumonia (Jouannic et al, 1996); or parapneumonic pleurisy (Smith et al, 2001). One case of renal infection by M. fortuitum was described by Serra et al (2007).…”

Derrame pleural secundario a infección por Mycobacterium fortuitum

“…La existencia de otras micobacterias, a parte de M. Tuberculosis y Leprae se reconoció hace más de un siglo y su papel en las enfermedades humanas no fue claramente reconocido hasta la década de 1950. El Micobacterium fortuitum está incluído en el grupo IV de la clasificación de Runyon, que se basa en la capacidad de producir pigmentos y en la velocidad de crecimiento de las micobacterias (2).…”