Case Report

Mycobacterium marinum Arthritis Mimicking Rheumatoid Arthritis

ALEX LAM, WADIE TOMA, and NAOMI SCHLESINGER

ABSTRACT.

Mycobacterium marinum is an atypical mycobacterium found in salt and fresh water. M. marinum infection occurs following skin trauma in fresh or salt water and usually presents as a localized granuloma or sporotrichotic lymphangitis. It rarely affects the musculoskeletal system. We describe a patient who presented with subcutaneous nodules and an inflammatory arthritis that was thought to be rheumatoid arthritis, and was treated as such with corticosteroids, methotrexate, and anti-tumor necrosis factor-a therapy, with worsening of his arthritis. (J Rheumatol 2006;33:817–9)

 

Key Indexing Terms:

MYCOBACTERIUM MARINUM
INFLAMMATORY ARTHRITIS
NODULE

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From the Rheumatology Division, Department of Medicine, The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey/Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA.

A. Lam, MD, Fellow; W. Toma, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine; N. Schlesinger, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine.

Address reprint requests to Dr. N. Schlesinger, Department of Medicine, UMDNJ–Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, One Robert Wood Johnson Pl., PO Box 19, New Brunswick, NJ 08903-0019. E-mail: schlesna@umdnj.edu

Accepted for publication November 19, 2005.

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