The clinical presentation, diagnosis, and therapy of cutaneous and pulmonary infections due to the rapidly growing mycobacteria, M. fortuitum and M. chelonae.

Infections due to the rapidly growing mycobacteria are being identified with increasing frequency, especially in the southern coastal United States. Cutaneous disease, including both community-acquired infections and nosocomial diseases such as augmentation mammaplasty wound infections and sternal wound infections, are relatively easily diagnosed and can be treated successfully using surgical débridement and antimicrobial agents such as amikacin and sulfonamides. Pulmonary infections are also readily diagnosed, but therapy is much more difficult and in many patients, consists only of intermittent medical intervention during exacerbations of the disease. Fortunately, most patients tolerate their disease well, and death due to the infection is rare.