Cutaneous granulomas associated with Mycobacterium fortuitum infection in a cat

Feline mycobacterial skin infections are reviewed briefly. A case of skin granulomas in a cat associated with the presence of the fast–growing acid–fast bacillus, Mycobacterium fortuitum , is reported. Surgical excision was followed by recurrence, but resolution of the lesions was obtained by tetracycline therapy for 12 weeks interspersed with a 14–day course of choloramphenicol. An attempt at experimental transmission to a kitten was unsuccessful. The characteristics of the fast–growing mycobacteria and the possible sources of infection are discussed.