ABSTRACT
M. chelonae is a rare cause of human infection and is difficult to diagnose unless suspected for the same. A 55 year old healthy gynaecologist, diagnosed to have right inguinal hernia, underwent laparoscopic hernioplasty, after which he showed signs of post-operative wound infection which was confirmed to be due to M. chelonae. Definitive identification of this species of mycobacterium was possible by growth characteristics and biochemical tests. The organism was sensitive to Kanamycin, Clarithromycin, Ciprofloxacin and Amikacin. However, complete recovery from infection was possible after prolonged treatment with antibiotics to which the organism was sensitive.
ABSTRACT
Injection abscess is an iatrogenic infection occurring as an isolated case or as cluster outbreak. These infections occur due to contaminated injectables or lapse in sterilisation protocol. While pathogens such as Pseudomonas, Klebsiella, E. coli, and S. aureus are the usual causative agents, unusual organisms such as mycobacteria, particularly the rapidly growing non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) may cause the abscess. The chances of overlooking these organisms is high unless an acid fast bacilli (AFB) smear and culture is done on all aspirated pus specimens. We report a case of a three year old child who presented with a gluteal abscess following an intramuscular infection with an unknown preparation.