Skin infection caused by Mycobacterium avium.

A patient with skin infection due to Mycobacterium avium is reported. A 9-year-old female had 10 subcutaneous nodules and two ulcers on the abdomen and legs. She had no medical history of systemic disease, skin disease or immunosuppressive therapy. Cultures of a biopsy specimen and of aspirated seropurulent fluid in nodules showed acid-fast bacteria, identified as M. avium by the DNA-DNA hybridization method. We treated her with a combination of surgery and the antibiotics, cycloserine, isoniazid and clarithromycin.