Fish-Tank Granuloma: NEJM case report

NEJM has published a case study of Fish-Tank Granuloma which has been reported by Steven F. Wolfe, M.D. et al.

A 22-year-old man lacerated the back of his left index finger while cleaning his fish tank. When seen three months later, he had a verrucous, crusted plaque at the site of the injury and two subcutaneous nodules along the line of lymphatic drainage.

He was afebrile and asymptomatic but was concerned about the nodules. A punch biopsy of the border of the plaque was obtained. Half was sent for routine histologic analysis and staining for acid-fast bacilli; the results of both were nondiagnostic.

The other half was sent for mycobacterial culture at 30 to 33°C, which revealed Mycobacterium marinum. The patient was treated with 100 mg of minocycline orally twice a day. One month later both the plaque and the subcutaneous nodules had disappeared. Therapy was continued for a total of six weeks. The infection did not recur.

For more details click on the link : DOI: 10.1056/NEJM199704103361505