The Journal of hand surgery
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Thirty-three patients with culture-positive atypical Mycobacterium infections of the upper extremity underwent surgical debridement and antimicrobial therapy. The causative atypical organism was M. marinum in 12 cases, M. avium-intracellulare in 7, M. terrae in 4, M. chelonei in 4, M. kansasii in 3, M. fortuitum in 2, and M. ulcerans in 1. The tenosynovium was the most common location of infection (14 patients). ⋯ The immune status of the host was an overwhelming predictor of eventual outcome. In the 15 patients with competent immune systems, resolution occurred in 13. However, in the immunocompromised patient population, only 4 of the 10 had resolution of deep infection at time of the follow-up evaluation.