A case of extensive cutaneous Mycobacterium marinum infection in a Pacific Islander living in New Zealand.

Mycobacterium marinum is a rare cause of cutaneous infection. The typical clinical picture consists of one or more discrete well circumscribed lesions affecting the upper limbs. However, a more exuberant form has been described in the South Pacific, where it is sometimes entitled 'Spam disease' given the infected skin's similar appearance to the canned food. We describe a case of this more extensive infection in a South Pacific Islander who appears to have acquired the infection in New Zealand, and remained undiagnosed for many years.