[Aquariums and mycobacterioses]

Mycobacterium infections are increasingly reported in fish fanciers who keep an aquarium. Inoculation occurs on abraded skin after an incubation period of 2 to 3 weeks. Clinically papulo-nodules, ulcers or verrucous plaques develop. These may progress into sporotrichoid lesions or into deeper infections involving tendons and bone. Cultural identification is obtained by biopsy specimen at low temperature (30-33 degrees C). Faster identification may be performed by polymerase chain reaction. Histopathologic examination is characterized by a nonspecific inflammatory infiltrate in the acute phase. In chronic lesions the histopathologic pattern is a tuberculoidlike granuloma. No absolute consensus has been reached for the treatment but generally it is started with minocycline. Other antibiotics (cotrimoxazole, quinolones, clarithromycine, ethambutol in association) have made their proof.