Open AccessNontuberculous mycobacterial infection of the musculoskeletal system in immunocompetent hosts
Author(s) -
Manit K. Gundavda,
Hitendra G. Patil,
Vikas Agashe,
Rajeev Soman,
Camilla Rodriques,
Ramesh Deshpande
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
indian journal of orthopaedics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.434
H-Index - 33
eISSN - 1998-3727
pISSN - 0019-5413
DOI - 10.4103/0019-5413.201718
Subject(s) - medicine , histopathology , nontuberculous mycobacteria , debridement (dental) , tuberculosis , surgery , dermatology , pathology , mycobacterium
Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) were considered saprophytic organisms for many years but now are recognized as human pathogens. Although humans are routinely exposed to NTM, the rate of clinical infection is low. Such infections usually occur in the elderly and in patients who are immunocompromised. However, there has been an increasing incidence in recent years of infections in immunocompetent hosts. NTM infections in immunocompetent individuals are secondary to direct inoculation either contamination from surgical procedures or penetrating injuries rather than hematogenous dissemination. Clinically and on histopathology, musculoskeletal infections caused by NTM resemble those caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis but are mostly resistant to routine antituberculosis medicines.