Surgical-site infections due to M chelonae are well documented, especially in association with cardiothoracic surgery and augmentation mammoplasty. M. chelonae is an atypical rapidly growing mycobacterium (RGM) which is also known as cold blooded tubercle bacillus originally isolated from a turtle. M. chelonae, although being a rare cause of human infection, is often associated with cases of inoculation mycobacterioses, disseminated infections in immunocompromised patients and rarely involves skin and soft tissues. However, an unusual case of this organism isolated from sputum and biopsy specimens of patient who died due to breast cancer. Clinical significance of isolated M. chelonae in our patient with breast carcinoma, was assessed using American Thoracic Society (ATS) criteria including pulmonary infiltrates in chest X-ray, presence of mycobacterium in sputum and cervical lymph node biopsy specimens as well as treatment and response to antimycobacterial therapy.
Last date updated on September, 2024
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