RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Mycobaterium fortuitum disseminated infection in an immunocompetent patient without predisposing factors JF BMJ Case Reports JO BMJ Case Reports FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd SP e235842 DO 10.1136/bcr-2020-235842 VO 13 IS 9 A1 Stephanie d'Incau A1 Maria-Isabel Vargas A1 Alexandra Calmy A1 Jean-Paul Janssens YR 2020 UL http://casereports.bmj.com/content/13/9/e235842.abstract AB Most Mycobacterium fortuitum infections described involve direct inoculation through skin lesions. We describe the case of a patient without risk factors who presented with an intracranial mass and a pulmonary infection with M. fortuitum. As M. fortuitum are rarely pathogens, there is little knowledge about the optimal treatment and outcome of such infections: what is the best mode of administration, what is the best therapy duration and is surgery always required are some of the unanswered questions. In our patient, surgical removal of the mass associated with a 1-year antimycobacterial therapy led to a full recovery. Even though M. fortuitum was rapidly identified in sputum, it was initially considered non-pathogenic and the definitive diagnosis required almost 6 weeks of investigations. New molecular techniques will probably lead to more identifications of M. fortuitum in the next few years and a better knowledge of their possible pathogenicity and optimal treatment.