Disseminated Osteomyelitis from Mycobacterium ulcerans after a Snakebite

Abstract

Atypical mycobacteria have been widely recognized as human pathogens only since the 1950s¹. Multiple organs can be involved, in particular the skin and bones. However, disseminated infection is usually observed only in immunodeficient hosts. We describe a boy with an apparently normal immune system, who nevertheless had debilitating multifocal osteomyelitis associated with a growth-deficient acid-fast microorganism. The microorganism was identified as Mycobacterium ulcerans by DNA amplification and subsequent determination of the nucleic acid sequence.