Bubo masquerading as an incarcerated inguinal hernia.

A 44-year old, male, tattooed, leather jacket clad, Harley-Davidson motorcyclist arrived at the emergency room with a tender, irreducible mass, presenting at the external inguinal ring. In 1998, lung biopsy was read as miliary granuloma. No herniation was found on urgent preperitoneal exploration. Incision of the mass showed acid-fast bacilli. Culture later revealed Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare (MAI). A blood count showed CD4 lymphopenia; HIV was negative and remains so 2 years later.