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Diagnosis of Mycobacterium ulcerans disease: be alert to the possibility of negative initial PCR results
Author(s) -
O'Brien Daniel P,
Globan Maria,
Fyfe Janet M,
Lavender Caroline J,
Murrie Adrian,
Flanagan Damian,
Meggyesy Peter,
Priestley Jonathan T,
Leslie David
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/mja2.50046
Subject(s) - mycobacterium ulcerans , buruli ulcer , medicine , interquartile range , incidence (geometry) , polymerase chain reaction , gold standard (test) , dermatology , disease , surgery , biology , biochemistry , physics , optics , gene
Mycobacterium ulcerans causes necrotising infections of the skin and soft tissue (Buruli ulcer), a disease that is endemic in the coastal regions of Victoria and northern Queensland. Most lesions (> 85%) are painless ulcers, but some are nonulcerative.1 As the incidence of Buruli ulcer rises in Victoria,2 Australian health practitioners are increasingly required to recognise this disease in people who reside in or have travelled to endemic areas, with early diagnosis vital for good outcomes.3