Cutaneous Nontuberculous Mycobacteria Infection after Cosmetic Tattooing: A Case Report

Main Article Content

Jennifer Seyffert
KCUMB-Advanced Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery

Christopher Wong
Western University of Health Sciences

Sadia Saeed
KCUMB-Advanced Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery

David Fitzmaurice
Advanced Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery

Keywords

Nontuberculous mycobacteria, atypical mycobacterial, cutaneous infection, tattoo infection, Mycobacterium chelonae

Abstract

Nontuberculous (atypical) mycobacteria rarely cause skin and soft tissue infections. Tattooing with contaminated gray ink has been implicated in previously reported outbreaks. We report the case of a 39-year-old Hispanic male who presented with a refractory, pruritic, papular eruption within the distribution of his tattoo with punch biopsy demonstrating papillary dermal granulomatous and suppurative inflammation surrounding small collections of acid-fast bacilli with associated superficial and deep dermal perivascular lymphatic inflammation, consistent with nontuberculous mycobacterial infection. Although uncommon, clinicians should consider nontuberculous mycobacterial infection in the differential diagnosis of refractory tattoo-associated skin eruptions.

References

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Published
Jul 12, 2020
DOI https://doi.org/10.25251/skin.4.4.20

Article Details

How to Cite
Seyffert, J., Wong, C., Saeed, S., & Fitzmaurice, D. (2020). Cutaneous Nontuberculous Mycobacteria Infection after Cosmetic Tattooing: A Case Report. SKIN The Journal of Cutaneous Medicine, 4(4), 379–382. https://doi.org/10.25251/skin.4.4.20
Issue
Vol. 4 No. 4 (2020)
Section
Brief Articles
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Author Biographies

Jennifer Seyffert, KCUMB-Advanced Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery

Dermatology

Sadia Saeed, KCUMB-Advanced Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery

Dermatology

David Fitzmaurice, Advanced Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery

Dermatology