Case Report - An unusal postoperative wound infection

Mycobacterium chelonae is a rare cause of human infection and is difficult to diagnose unless suspected for the same. A 38-year-old lady, diagnosed to have epigastric hernia, underwent open mesh hernioplasty, after which she developed multiple nonhealing sinuses at site of surgery. The mesh had to be removed and the causative organism was confirmed to be to M. chelonae . Definitive identification of this species of mycobacterium was possible by growth characteristics and biochemical tests. The patient has been on injection amikacin and tab clathromycin, the only two drugs shown to be sensitive to, for the last two months and complete recovery is still awaited.