CUTANEOUS MYCOBACTERIUM MARINUM INFECTION DIAGNOSED BY PCR-RFLP ANALYSIS

Objective To identify Mycobacterium marinum (M. marinum) inducing misdiagnosis and treatment failure. Methods The lesional specimen of patient with cutaneous M. marinum were cultivated on Lwenstein-Jensen medium. The isolate was identified by biochemical tests and polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of the hsp65 gene. Results Smooth and non-pigmented colonies were noted after incubation at 32 ℃ for 2 weeks. The isolate was acid-fast bacilli and confirmed as M. marinum by biochemical tests and PCR-RFLP. Conclusion For a correct diagnosis of cutaneous M. marinum infection, it is crucial for clinicians to have a high index of suspicion, obtain the history of exposure and trauma and understand growth characteristics of the organism. Compared with conventional biochemical techniques, PCR-RFLP analysis is a more rapid, accurate and reliable method for mycobacterial identification to species level.