A case of delayed cutaneous S. marcescens after rhinoplasty

Serratia marcescens is an uncommon cause of cutaneous infections, especially in immunocompetent individuals. We present a 31-year-old woman with a chronic erythematous nodule on the nasal supratip, three years post-rhinoplasty. Initial treatments, including intralesional corticosteroids, oral doxycycline, and topical metronidazole, failed to resolve the infection. Initially thought to be a contaminant, repeat tissue culture confirmed the presence of S. marcescens. The patient's abscess resolved following a course of levofloxacin but surgery was required to remove remnant scar tissue. This case underscores the importance of considering atypical pathogens in chronic cutaneous infections following cosmetic procedures, even in immunocompetent patients. Increased awareness among clinicians can aid in prompt diagnosis and targeted therapy.