Mycobacterium haemophilum is a slow-growing non-tuberculous mycobacterium that is rarely known to cause human skin
infection, particularly in immunocompromised patients. We recently experienced a 69-year-old Japanese woman with this
infection who had been under immunosuppressive treatment for recalcitrant
rheumatoid arthritis. The patient showed disseminated erythematous plaques and subcutaneous nodules on the face and extremities, and interestingly, the face manifested with a striking "
facies leontina" appearance. Biopsy revealed
abscess and granulomatous
dermatitis with the involvement of peripheral nerve bundles and the presence of innumerable
acid-fast bacilli, thus necessitating differentiation from
lepromatous leprosy. M. haemophilum was identified by molecular characterization as well as by successful culture with
iron supplements. Although
drug susceptibility testing indicated responsiveness to multiple
antibiotics administrated simultaneously for the treatment, it took over 6 months to achieve significant improvement, and we also employed concurrent oral
potassium iodide administration and repeated surgical excision. This case highlights the importance of continuous combination
therapy for successful outcome in this rare
infection. Furthermore, application of
potassium iodide for mycobacterial
infection warrants further evaluation by accumulating more cases.