Mycobacteria cause a range of diseases in both immunocompetent and immunosuppressed individuals and may affect many different organs. The most noticeable recent change in patterns of cutaneous mycobacterial infection refers to the increase in non-tuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) infections. This review focuses on the clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and treatment of cutaneous NTM infections. The MEDLINE, PubMed, and Cochrane Library databases were searched using the keywords "non-tuberculous mycobacteria," "atypical mycobacteria," and "mycobacteria other than tubercle bacilli". Publications on cutaneous NTM infections written in English were included in this review. Literature published by the World Health Organization was examined for further material. References in review articles were screened for other studies not already identified. The clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment of NTM infections were reviewed. Cutaneous mycobacterial disease may take many guises and may appear benign in nature. Chronic cutaneous lesions at the sites of trauma or surgical procedures, especially those that fail to respond to standard antibiotic therapy, should prompt the consideration of mycobacterial disease. The lack of rapid techniques for the identification of pathogens makes diagnosis challenging. The lack of randomized controlled trials on the efficacy of antimicrobial agents means that empiric therapy may fail, necessitate prolonged combinations of antibiotics, and increase the probability of side effects and diminished compliance.
© 2014 The International Society of Dermatology.