Scalp Infection Caused by Mycobacterium abscessus Manifested as Patchy Alopecia in an Immunocompetent Female

Abstract

Mycobacterium abscessus (M. abscessus) is a fast-growing, non-tuberculous mycobacterium (NTM) that can cause human infections varying from superficial infection to pulmonary or even systemic infections. The latter is more commonly appeared in immunocompromised patients. The skin infection caused by M. abscessus often appears after trauma or surgical procedure. It is often manifested by subcutaneous nodules, papules, erythema, tender erythematous or violaceous plaques, cellulitis, abscesses, ulcerations, and draining sinuses. Herein, we present a non-typical cutaneous manifestation of M. abscessus infection in a 46-year-old woman who presented with alopecia on the scalp with no itching or pain. The pathogen was isolated and identified as M. abscessus by morphology and DNA sequencing. To our best knowledge, there was no report that this organism could cause skin lesions mimicking patchy alopecia. After 3 months of antibacterial treatment, the cutaneous lesion disappeared, and new growth of hair occurred in this patient.