Mycobacterium fortuitum bacteremia in patients with cancer and long-term venous catheters

Primary bacteremia due to Mycobacterium fortuitum is an uncommon occurrence. Four cases of M. fortuitum bacteremia in patients with cancer, one of whom was neutropenic, are presented. None of the patients had evidence of disseminated disease or endocarditis, and there was no mortality directly associated with this infection. Two patients had polymicrobial sepsis with skin commensal organisms. The infection was related to the use of long-term central venous catheters or recent instrumentation in all patients. M. fortuitum should be added to the growing list of organisms causing catheter-related infections.