Isolation of Mycobacterium ulcerans from swab and fine-needle-aspiration specimens

For cultivation of Mycobacterium ulcerans from clinical specimens, we optimized the release of bacteria from swabs, as well as decontamination and cultivation on supplemented medium. Nevertheless, the proportions of positive cultures, 41.7% (5/12) for fine-needle-aspiration (FNA) samples and 43.8% (49/112) for swab samples, were lower than those we have previously observed for excised tissue specimens.