Mycobacterium wolinskyi Bloodstream Infection Associated With a Central Venous Port: A Case Report

Mycobacterium wolinskyi is a rapidly growing non-tuberculous Mycobacterium typically associated with surgical wounds or implanted devices. We report an elderly woman with a central venous (CV) port inserted two years earlier for long-term nutritional support after gastric cancer surgery who developed a bloodstream infection caused by M. wolinskyi. Gram staining of the positive blood culture revealed slender filamentous Gram-positive rods, prompting suspicion of rapidly growing mycobacteria (RGM). The organism isolated from both blood and port cultures was identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry. Despite discontinuation of antibiotics due to Clostridioides difficile infection, the patient achieved complete recovery following CV port removal alone, with no recurrence during follow-up. This case underscores the need for awareness that M. wolinskyi may present as Gram-positive rods on Gram stain and that close collaboration between clinicians and microbiology laboratories is crucial for early recognition and appropriate management of device-associated RGM infections.