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Case report
Rare case of Mycobacterium marinum in a patient presenting with tenosynovitis
  1. Henrik Zachar Langkilde1,
  2. Kim Nesten2 and
  3. Melanie Birger Morillon3,4
  1. 1Department of Medicine, Vejle Hospital, University Hospital of Southern Denmark, Vejle, Denmark
  2. 2Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Hand Surgery, University Hospital of Southern Denmark, Vejle, Denmark
  3. 3Department of Internal Medicine, Odense University Hospital - Svendborg, Denmark, Svendborg, Denmark
  4. 4Research Unit of Rheumatology, Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
  1. Correspondence to MD Henrik Zachar Langkilde; hplangkilde{at}hotmail.com

Abstract

A 72-year-old man presented with tenosynovitis of the left hand’s extensor tendons that had been present for several months. He was initially treated with corticosteroids, first by local injection then systemically, but with no effect. When re-evaluated, the patient had developed a rash, and the symptoms had spread locally to surrounding structures. At this point, the patient added to the medical history that he had been stung by a sculpin a month before the debut of symptoms. Based on this, the patient’s involved area was biopsied, and subsequent microbiology findings proved consistent with Mycobacterium marinum infection. By the time of diagnosis, the patient had soft tissue involvement, arthritis and osteomyelitis with an overlying rash. This case emphasises the need for reassessment when treatment is not effective and for further investigations of the medical history to establish the correct diagnosis and treatment.

  • bone and joint infections
  • rheumatology
  • orthopaedic and trauma surgery

https://doi.org/10.1136/bcr-2020-234417

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    Footnotes

    • Contributors HZL wrote the case, followed the patient and provided pictures and patients perspective. KN performed the surgery and provided the biopsy material. MBM saw the patient in the outpatient clinic and referred the patient to surgery, did follow-up on the patient and cowrote the case. All authors planned and reviewed the case report and agreed on the design and the data interpretation.

    • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.