Mycobacterium massiliense Infection after Liposuction / 대한피부과학회지

ABSTRACT

Mycobacterium massiliense is a new emerging pathogen within the M. chelonae-M. abscessus group that has been described recently. Mycobacterium massiliense usually causes pulmonary or skin and soft tissue infections in immunocompromised patients; however, cutaneous infections have also been reported in healthy individuals following surgical procedures or laparoscopic surgery. This potentially hazardous microorganism should not be overlooked because it often shows resistance to conventional antibiotics. A 25-year-old woman presented with erythematous nodules on her left leg, which was a liposuction site. A histopathological examination showed suppurative granulomas with mixed cellular infiltrations within the dermis and fat layer. Rod-shaped bacilli were detected within the clear spaces of the dermis using Ziehl-Neelsen stain. An acid-fast bacterial culture showed colony formation, and using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analytical method and the ERM gene, we identified M. massiliense. After surgical excision and the systemic administration of medication comprising clarithromycin and linezolid for 6 months, all of the cutaneous lesions improved and no new lesions occurred.