Mycobacterium bolletii/Mycobacterium massiliense furunculosis associated with pedicure footbaths: a report of 3 cases.

BACKGROUND: Mycobacterium bolletii and Mycobacterium massiliense are recently described species of nontuberculous mycobacteria. Footbaths preceding pedicures at nail salons have been implicated as reservoirs of infection with nontuberculous mycobacteria. To our knowledge, this case series represents the first documented outbreak of M bolletii/M massiliense furunculosis, identified by heat-shock protein 65 gene, hsp65, sequencing, occurring in immunocompetent patrons of a North Carolina nail salon. OBSERVATIONS: We describe 3 cases of lower extremity furunculosis caused by M bolletii/M massiliense associated with pedicure footbaths from the same North Carolina nail salon. Lesions developed within 1 month of the salon visit and were characterized by erythematous, indurated papules and plaques. Histologic examination revealed suppurative granulomatous dermatitis. Mycobacterium bolletii/M massiliense was identified by sequencing the 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and hsp65 genes. All 3 patients responded to different combinations of clarithromycin, doxycycline hydrochloride, azithromycin, and moxifloxacin hydrochloride for complete lesion resolution. CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians should elicit a history of pedicure footbaths and maintain a high level of suspicion when faced with skin lesions of the lower extremities that are culture negative or are refractory to conventional antibiotic therapy. Accurate identification and discrimination of M massiliense and M bolletii is difficult and requires sequencing of multiple gene targets beyond their identical 16S rRNA sequences.

Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis: change in incidence following a switch in gadolinium agents and adoption of a gadolinium policy--report from two U.S. universities.

PURPOSE: To determine the incidence of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) in tertiary care centers of two U.S. universities following the switch from the use of gadodiamide to gadobenate dimeglumine and gadopentetate dimeglumine, and the adoption of restrictive gadolinium-based contrast agent (GBCA) policies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Institutional review board approval with waiver of informed consent was obtained for this Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act-compliant retrospective study. NSF patients were identified between January 2000 and December 2006 at center A and between October 2003 and February 2007 at center B (preadoption periods); and from June 2007 to June 2008 at both centers (postadoption period). The numbers of patients who underwent gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance at each center, patients at risk for NSF at center A, and dialysis patients at center B were identified in the pre- and postadoption periods. Gadodiamide was the only agent used in the preadoption period. Gadobenate dimeglumine and gadopentetate dimeglumine were the agents used in the postadoption period. A restrictive GBCA policy that limits the use and dose of GBCAs in patients with risk factors was adopted in the postadoption period. Follow-up lasted 9 months from July 2008 to March 2009. Corresponding incidences were determined and compared with the Fisher exact test. RESULTS: Respective total benchmark incidence of NSF at both centers, at-risk incidence of NSF at center A, and dialysis incidence of NSF at center B were 37 of 65 240, 28 of 925, and nine of 312 in the preadoption period and zero of 25 167, zero of 147, and zero of 402 in the postadoption period. All three incidences demonstrated significant differences (P < .0001, .024, and .001, respectively) between the pre- and postadoption periods. CONCLUSION: Following the switch from gadodiamide to gadobenate dimeglumine and gadopentetate dimeglumine, and the adoption of restrictive GBCA policies, no NSF cases were observed at either center.

Risk of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis: evaluation of gadolinium chelate contrast agents at four American universities.

PURPOSE: To retrospectively determine the benchmark incidence of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) related to the confirmed use of different gadolinium chelate contrast agents at four U.S. university tertiary care centers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Institutional review board approval was obtained for this HIPAA-compliant multi-institutional study; the requirement for informed patient consent was waived. Patients who had a diagnosis of NSF between January 2000 and December 2006 were identified at four tertiary care centers with renal transplant and dialysis services. A standard checklist was used to acquire reliable data from the four centers. The diagnosis of NSF was confirmed histopathologically in all patients. The association of NSF development with gadolinium chelate contrast agent administration in each patient was assessed. The type and cumulative dose of contrast agent administered to each patient with NSF were determined at each center by using the standard checklist. The benchmark incidence of NSF was determined and expressed as the ratio of the number of patients with NSF who had undergone gadolinium chelate-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, relative to the total number of patients who underwent gadolinium chelate-enhanced MR imaging at each tertiary care center. Benchmark incidences of NSF were compared among the four centers by using Fisher exact tests. RESULTS: Gadodiamide was used at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (center A) and Emory University (center B), and gadopentetate dimeglumine was used at Wake Forest University (center C) and Thomas Jefferson University (center D) during the study period. Twenty-three patients at center A, nine patients at center B, three patients at center C, and one patient at center D had NSF and had undergone gadolinium chelate-enhanced MR imaging. The incidence of NSF was one in 2913 patients who underwent gadodiamide-enhanced MR examinations and one in 44,224 patients who underwent gadopentetate dimeglumine-enhanced MR examinations. CONCLUSION: The benchmark incidence of NSF was much greater at the two centers where gadodiamide was used than at the two centers where gadopentetate dimeglumine was used.