[Clinical atypical mycobacterial infections]

In adults atypical mycobacteria usually cause pulmonary disease, lymphadenitis in children and disseminated disease in the course of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Apart from that atypical mycobacteria lead to cutaneous lesions as well as to local abscess formation and necrotic tissue lesions following accidental or iatrogenic trauma of the skin or the soft tissues. Whereas well-established and upcoming microbiologic procedures easily allow an exact classification of the organism, clinical diagnosis is sometimes problematic.