The Story of an Abscess: A Case of Mycobacterium abscessus Infection in an Immunocompetent Patient

Abstract

Mycobacterium abscessus is a very unusual cause of infection in immunocompetent patients. It is a rapidly growing microbe that rarely causes disseminated infection or native valve endocarditis. This organism exhibits intrinsic and acquired resistance to multiple antibiotics and hence becomes a major issue in planning treatment regimens. We report a unique case of a young immunocompetent male patient presenting with stroke and persistent fever. After extensive investigations, he was found to have an abscess caused by M. abscessus in the sinus of Valsalva and thrombi in the aorta that was the sequalae following coronary angioplasty. This case report explains the difficulties in the diagnosis and treatment of M. abscessus.