Treatment of nonpulmonary infections due to Mycobacterium fortuitum and Mycobacterium chelonei on the basis of in vitro susceptibilities.

One hundred twenty-three patients with nonpulmonary infections due to Mycobacterium fortuitum or Mycobacterium chelonei were treated by wound debridement and with chemotherapy on the basis of in vitro susceptibilities of the organism. Of 76 patients with infections caused by M. fortuitum, 13 required no therapy or were adequately treated with surgery alone. Patients with active localized disease received single drug therapy (usually with a sulfonamide) for a mean period of 10.6 weeks for cellulitis and seven months for osteomyelitis. Patients with extensive disease received amikacin or amikacin plus cefoxitin (mean, four weeks) followed by a sulfonamide (mean, six months). The 47 patients with infections caused by M. chelonei received no therapy or were treated with surgery alone (6); with amikacin (10), erythromycin (6), doxycycline (3), or cefoxitin (1); or with amikacin plus cefoxitin followed by cefoxitin alone for a total of 10-12 weeks (20); or other multiple-drug regimens (1). Surgery was performed on 74 (60%) patients. Schlichter tests or serum drug levels were determined for 81 (66%) patients. Response to therapy was excellent; 68 (90%) infections with M. fortuitum and 34 (72%) with M. chelonei were successfully treated. Cultures became negative within six weeks of chemotherapy, except for sternal osteomyelitis, for which cultures were not negative until up to 14 weeks. Follow-up for a mean period of 12 months following therapy was possible in 80% of cases. Relapses were rare except in patients with disseminated disease, and drug resistance developed in only one patient. These studies demonstrate the value of routine susceptibility testing of these mycobacterial species and the benefit of chemotherapy on the basis of in vitro susceptibilities.

Bacteremia caused by a previously unidentified species of rapidly growing Mycobacterium successfully treated with vancomycin.

Bacteremia caused by rapidly growing mycobacteria are usually due to Mycobacterium fortuitum or M. chelonei. Other rapidly growing mycobacteria generally are considered to be nonpathogenic. We report the case of a patient with bacteremia due to an unidentified, rapidly growing, scotochromogenic mycobacteria that was detected by a radiometric blood culture system. Results of in-vitro susceptibility testing indicated that the organism was susceptible to vancomycin and other antimicrobial agents, and the patient was successfully treated with vancomycin. We believe that this is the first report of successful use of vancomycin therapy for a mycobacterial infection.

Rapidly growing mycobacteria: testing of susceptibility to 34 antimicrobial agents by broth microdilution.

A total of 18 strains of Mycobacterium fortuitum, 15 strains of M. chelonei, and 31 strains of M. chelonei-like organisms were tested by both broth microdilution and agar dilution to determine their susceptibility to 34 antimicrobial agents. All strains grew well enough in cation-supplemented Mueller-Hinton broth for endpoints to be read after 72 h of incubation. Some strains of M. chelonei did not grow on Mueller-Hinton agar. A few discrepancies were noted between the broth and agar procedures. For M. fortuitum, doxycycline, minocycline, amikacin, sulfamethoxazole, and sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim were the most active agents. For M. chelonei, amikacin, sisomicin, tobramycin, and erythromycin were the most active agents. The M. chelonei-like organisms were most susceptible to ampicillin, doxycycline, minocycline, amikacin, erythromycin, sulfamethoxazole, and sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim. Broth microdilution appears to be a reliable method for susceptibility testing of rapidly growing mycobacteria, although clinical studies are needed to determine how well in vitro results correlate with therapeutic in vivo outcome.