Paraspinous abscess with Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare in a patient without AIDS

This paper reports the case of a young woman with SLE whose paraspinous abscess due to Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare was metastatic to the breast. Surgical drainage and 18 months of treatment with rifampin, cycloserine, ethambutol, and streptomycin failed to eradicate the infection. This case illustrates that MAI infection can occur in patients not usually considered to be immunosuppressed and may be difficult to treat.