Peritoneal catheter exit‐site infections caused by rapidly‐growing atypical mycobacteria

Abstract

A 27-year-old woman with renal failure due to systemic The incidence of mycobacteriae infections has grown lupus erythaematosus was treated with PD for 16 rapidly over the last few years. In particular, nonmonths. During this time, she observed granulation tuberculous mycobacteriae infections, especially those tissue and purulent discharge at the catheter exit-site. caused by Mycobacterium fortuitum and MycoRepeated cultures were negative until August 1995. At bacterium chelonae, are becoming highly prevalent [1]. that time M. fortuitum was isolated and treatment with Several cases of peritonitis due to these organisms clarithromicin and ciprofloxacin commenced. It was among patients receiving peritoneal dialysis (PD) have necessary to replace these antibiotics by amikacin and been described [2,3]. Although peritoneal catheter exitdoxycyclin due to gastric intolerance. The duration of site infections are very rare [4–6 ], we report here five treatment was 1.5 months. In September 1995, the cases, one of which was complicated by peritonitis. catheter was prophylactically removed and substituted with another 5 days later, with no recurrence of the mycobacterial infection. In June 1997, the second Cases catheter was removed after she received a successful renal allograft. No recurrence appeared. Case 1