Nontuberculous mycobacteria as unsuspected agents of dermatological infections: diagnosis through microbiological parameters.

Nontuberculous mycobacteria were identified as the agents of dermatological lesions in seven patients seen at The Mount Sinai Hospital from 1969 to 1979. Three patients had water-associated cutaneous lesions, three had abscesses at the site of an injection, and one had an erosive nasal lesion. In each of these instances, the mycobacterial etiology was not suspected, and diagnosis was achieved only after careful microbiological studies. These experiences emphasize that a mycobacterial etiology should be sought in chronic cutaneous lesions occurring at traumatized sites.