What question did this study set out to answer?

To highlight a misdiagnosis of Mycobacterium marinum infection as a giant cell tumor and emphasize diagnostic tools.

February 2, 2026Case Reports in Infectious Diseases0 citationsOpen Access

A Fishy Situation: Hand Infection due to Mycobacterium marinum Mistaken for Giant Cell Tumor

AKAlynna KnaubOld Dominion University DBDylan BakerPatrick Air Force Base JHJennifer HanrahanMarshall Health

Key Points

To highlight a misdiagnosis of Mycobacterium marinum infection as a giant cell tumor and emphasize diagnostic tools.
Presented a case study detailing the patient's history and clinical findings.
Used QuantiFERON Gold testing to assist in diagnosis.
Reviewed literature on the differentiation between cutaneous infections and orthopedic lesions.
Identified nodular lesions consistent with M. marinum infection.
Demonstrated the effectiveness of QuantiFERON Gold in confirming the diagnosis.
Highlighted the risk of misdiagnosis without proper culture data.

Abstract

Mycobacterium marinum is an acid‐fast bacterium (AFB) associated with exposure to water and aquatic species. When inoculated, infection can result in nodular cutaneous lesions. In the absence of detailed history or culture data, these nodular skin lesions can be mistaken for noninfectious orthopedic conditions. We present a case of M. marinum mistaken for a giant cell tumor. This case illustrates the overlap in these conditions, as well as the utility of QuantiFERON Gold testing to provide supportive evidence for the diagnosis of Mycobacterium marinum .

问 AI

Bookmark

View Full Paper