Nontuberculous mycobacterial myositis in dermatomyositis with long-term use of immunosuppressant: a case report.

Inflammatory myopathies, such as polymyositis and dermatomyositis, are systemic inflammatory disorders that affect skeletal muscles and internal organs. The treatment of inflammatory myopathies usually involves long-term use of high doses of steroids and/or immunosuppressants, making patients susceptible to opportunistic infections. Unfortunately, infections are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with inflammatory myopathies. Musculoskeletal nontuberculous mycobacterial infections are rare. Nontuberculous mycobacterial infections are easily overlooked owing to their rarity, leading to delayed diagnosis and treatment, indolent clinical course, and difficulty isolating the pathogen. Nontuberculous mycobacterial infections are a growing health concern because of their increasing incidence and the need for prolonged treatment. In patients with connective tissue diseases, immunosuppressant use may lead to an increased risk of nontuberculous mycobacterial infection with a poor prognosis, which highlights the need for early diagnosis and treatment. Herein, we report the case of a 59-year-old man diagnosed with dermatomyositis, who had prolonged use of immunosuppressants and developed a disseminated soft tissue infection in both thighs caused by Mycobacterium abscessus. Multimodal images were obtained using magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasonography, and computed tomography. A strong suspicion of possible combined opportunistic infections and appropriate staining is essential in diagnosing nontuberculous mycobacterial myositis.

Mycobacterium marinum Infection after Iguana Bite in Costa Rica.

Infections after reptile bites are uncommon, and microbial etiologies are not well defined. We describe a case of Mycobacterium marinum soft-tissue infection after an iguana bite in Costa Rica that was diagnosed through 16S rRNA sequencing and mycobacterial culture. This case informs providers of potential etiologies of infection after iguana bites.

GATA2 Deficiency: Predisposition to Myeloid Malignancy and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: GATA2 deficiency is a haploinsufficiency syndrome associated with a wide spectrum of disease, including severe monocytopenia and B and NK lymphopenia, predisposition to myeloid malignancies, human papillomavirus infections, and infections with opportunistic organisms, particularly nontuberculous mycobacteria, herpes virus, and certain fungi. GATA2 mutations have variable penetrance and expressivity with imperfect genotype-phenotype correlations. However, approximately 75% of patients will develop a myeloid neoplasm at some point. Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is the only currently available curative therapy. Here, we review the clinical manifestations of GATA2 deficiency, characterization of the hematologic abnormalities and progression to myeloid malignancy, and current HCT practices and outcomes. RECENT FINDINGS: Cytogenetic abnormalities are common with high rates of trisomy 8, monosomy 7, and unbalanced translocation der(1;7) and may suggest an underlying GATA2 deficiency in patients presenting with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Mutations in ASXL1 and STAG2 are the most frequently encountered somatic mutations and are associated with lower survival probability. A recent report of 59 patients with GATA2 deficiency who underwent allogenic HCT with myeloablative, busulfan-based conditioning and post-transplant cyclophosphamide reported excellent overall and event-free survival of 85% and 82% with reversal of disease phenotype and low rates of graft versus host disease. Allogeneic HCT with myeloablative conditioning results in disease correction and should be considered for patients with a history of recurrent, disfiguring and/or severe infections, organ dysfunction, MDS with cytogenetic abnormalities, high-risk somatic mutations or transfusion dependence, or myeloid progression. Improved genotype/phenotype correlations are needed to allow for greater predictive capabilities.

Healthcare use and medical cost before and after diagnosis of nontuberculous mycobacterial infection in Korea: the National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The global prevalence and incidence of nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) infections are increasing; however, population-level data on healthcare use and medical costs for people with NTM infections are limited. Thus, we investigated the rates of healthcare use and medical costs of people with NTM infections in South Korea using the National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort from 2002 to 2015. METHODS: In this cohort study, people with and without NTM infection aged 20-89 years were matched 1 to 4 by sex, age, Charlson comorbidity index, and year of diagnosis. The overall and annual average healthcare use and medical costs were calculated. In addition, trends in healthcare use and medical costs for each of the 3 years before and after NTM diagnosis were investigated for people diagnosed with NTM infection. RESULTS: A total of 798 individuals (336 men and 462 women) diagnosed with NTM infection and 3192 controls were included in the study. NTM-infected patients had significantly higher rates of healthcare use and medical costs than those in the control group (p < 0.05). NTM-infected patients showed 1.5 times the medical cost and 4.5 times the respiratory disease cost of the control group. People diagnosed with NTM infection incurred the highest medical costs in the 6 months before diagnosis. CONCLUSION: NTM infection increases the economic burden on Korean adults. Appropriate diagnostic tests and treatment plans for NTM infections are needed to reduce the burden of the disease caused by such infection.

Comorbidities of nontuberculous mycobacteria infection in Korean adults: results from the National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort (NHIS-NSC) database.

BACKGROUND: The global prevalence and incidence of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infection are increasing. However, the prevalence of NTM infection-associated comorbidities remains understudied. Thus, we investigated the comorbidities associated with NTM infection using the National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort (NHIS-NSC) 2.0 database of the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS). METHODS: In this case-control study, patients with NTM infection and controls aged 20-89 years of age were matched 1:4 by sex, age, region, and income. A total of 26 comorbidities were selected based on previous reports and claims data analysis. The distribution of comorbidities was compared between patients with NTM infection and controls by sex and age using logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: In total, 893 patients (379 men and 514 women) with NTM infection (mean age, 56.1 years) and 3,572 controls (mean age, 55.6 years) were included. The odds ratio for prevalence of respiratory diseases, metabolic diseases, musculoskeletal disorders, gastrointestinal diseases, skin diseases, mental diseases, and neoplasms was significantly higher in patients with NTM infection than in the control group. Among comorbid diseases, the odds ratios (ORs) for the prevalence of the respiratory diseases such as bronchiectasis (OR [95% confidence interval (CI)]: 26.79 [19.69-36.45]) and interstitial pneumonitis (OR [95% CI]: 15.10 [7.15-31.89]) were the highest. No significant differences were observed in NTM infection-related comorbidities between men and women. In the younger age group (20-39 years old), the prevalence of respiratory and systemic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes was higher in the patient group than in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: NTM infection is associated with several respiratory and systemic diseases that should be considered when providing medical care to patients with NTM infection.

Skin infection by Mycobacterium farcinogenes-senegalense group in an immunocompetent patient: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Mycobacterium farcinogenes-senegalense group mostly cause bovine farcy, which rarely infect human beings. We reported one case of cutaneous Mycobacterium farcinogenes-senegalense group infection in an immunocompetent victim. CASE PRESENTATION: A 66-year-old Taiwanese woman with hypertension developed tender nodules on her left dorsal foot for 2 months. Tissue culture identified Mycobacterium farcinogenes-senegalense group. The lesion was treated successfully with clarithromycin and sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim, followed by surgical excision. CONCLUSIONS: Mycobacterium farcinogenes-senegalense group infection should be considered as a potential pathogen of skin infection in immunocompetent patients.

Isolation of Novel Mycobacterium Species from Skin Infection in an Immunocompromised Person.

We investigated a case of cutaneous infection in an immunocompromised patient in China that was caused by a novel species within the Mycobacterium gordonae complex. Results of whole-genome sequencing indicated that some strains considered to be M. gordonae complex are actually polyphyletic and should be designated as closely related species.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis e micobactérias não tuberculose em paciente com síndrome da imunodeficiência adquirida e câncer: relato de caso / Mycobacterium tuberculosis and non-tuberculous mycobacteria in a patient with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and cancer: case report

O presente estudo relata o caso de um paciente de difícil tratamento com infecção mista por tuberculose (TB) e micobactérias não tuberculosas (MNT). O paciente é portador de HIV, câncer e outras doenças associadas. A TB foi elucidada em internação devido a quadro de hemoptise. No período da TB/MNT, a carga viral manteve-se indetectável e o Linfócito T CD4+ variou de 117 a 622 cél/mm3. Os principais sintomas foram febre, tosse, emagrecimento e sudorese. O exame de Raio-X mostrou suspeita de TB bilateral cavitária, a baciloscopia foi negativa e várias culturas apresentaram resultado positivo. As identificações dos isolados foram: Complexo Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mycobacterium intracelullare/chimaera e M. fortuitum, isolados de amostras pulmonares. Iniciado tratamento para TB em outubro de 2015, atualmente tratando de MNT e mantendo cultura positiva com identificação de M. intracelullare. Os Testes de suscetibilidade aos fármacos para M. intracelullare mostraram resistência a Isoniazida, Rifampicina, Ciprofloxacina, Etambutol e Rifabutina. A terapia para a síndrome da imunodeficiência adquirida (AIDS) aumentou a sobrevida do paciente, trazendo novos desafios para o diagnóstico, controle de tratamento e cuidados da atenção básica para os pacientes com TB/micobacterioses/HIV. Este caso exemplifica que a decisão por um tratamento empírico pode ser uma escolha acertada em casos com clínica e imagem compatíveis e baciloscopia ou TRM negativos.

The present study is a case report of a difficult-to-treat patient with mixed tuberculosis (TB) and non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infection. The patient has HIV, cancer and other associated diseases. TB was elucidated upon hospitalization due to hemoptysis. In the TB/NTM period, the viral load remained undetectable and CD4 ranged from 622 to 117 cells/mm3. The main symptoms were fever, cough, weight loss and sweating. The X-ray examination showed suspicion of bilateral cavitary TB; the bacilloscopy was negative and several cultures presented positive results. The following isolates were identified: Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, Mycobacterium intracelullare/chimaera and M. fortuitum, isolated from lung samples. The TB treatment was initiated in October 2015, currently treating NTM and maintaining positive culture with identification of M. intracelullare. Antimicrobial sensitivity tests for M. intracelullare showed resistance to Isoniazid, Rifampicin, Ciprofloxacin, Ethambutol and Rifabutin. Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) therapy has increased patient survival, bringing new challenges for diagnosis, treatment control, and basic care for TB/mycobacterial/HIV patients. This case exemplifies that the decision of an empirical treatment may be the correct choice in cases with compatible clinical and imaging tests and negative smear microscopy or molecular tests.

Diagnosis and Treatment for Deep Nontuberculous Mycobacteria Infection of the Hand and Wrist

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to present a systematic treatment method for nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infection of the hand and wrist to gain better clinical outcomes. METHODS: 10 patients of deep NTM infection of the hand and wrist were reviewed. Extensive debridement was performed in all cases. When biopsy result suggested mycobacterial infection such as granulomatous inflammation, empirical tuberculosis medication was started. After culture confirmed NTM growth, the species was identified and in vitro sensitivity test was performed. Then medication was switched according to the results. Functional outcomes of the hand and wrist were measured by total active motion of the fingers and by range of motion of the wrist respectively. RESULTS: Diagnosis was tenosynovitis in seven patients, infective arthritis and osteomyelitis combined with tenosynovitis of the wrist in three patients. Two patients had recurred skin ulcer during follow-up period and undergone second debridement. After second operation, no patient had a persistent discharging sinus and all patient were completely healed during follow-up period. Functional outcome of the eight patients who had NTM infection of their hand was excellent in two, good in four, fair in one, poor in one. Mean range of motion of the two patients who had osteomyelitis of their wrist was dorsiflexion 20degrees, volar flexion 15degrees, radial deviation 0degrees, ulnar deviation 15degrees. CONCLUSION: Our standardized treatment protocol can be helpful for treatment of deep NTM infection of the hand and wrist.

A Case of Nontuberculous Mycobacteria Infection That Was Misdiagnosed as an Invasion of Wegener's Granulomatosis / 대한류마티스학회지

Wegener's granulomatosis is a rare disease that pathologically causes necrotizing granulomatous vasculitis in the arterioles and venules and it can invade the whole body. In addition, it is difficult to distinguish between a nontuberculous mycobacteria infection that shows manifestations of granuloma and Wegener's granulomatosis. There has been no reported on a patient who had the 2 abovementioned two diseases at the same time. A 69 year old male patient had Wegener's granulomatosis that had invaded the prostate. He also had a scrotal swelling and back pain. He had manifestations of granulomatous infection on the scrotum and spine biopsies. However, there was no clinical evidence of Wegener's granulomatosis. As a result, we examined him for other diseases that can cause a granuloma. Consequently, he was also diagnosed as suffering with a nontuberculous mycobacteria infection. We report here on this case and we review the relevant medical literature.