Non-tuberculous mycobacteria mimic of MDR-TB infection in Pott's disease

A 34 year-old woman presented with history of progressive back pain which was diagnosed as Pott's disease with recurrent paravertebral abscess, and had received a total of 23 months of antitubercular treatment for lumbar infection. The patient was non-responsive to treatment and was referred to a higher centre where the infection was finally identified as non-tuberculous mycobacterium (Mycobacterium fortuitum) by genotypic testing. The drugs were initiated according to results of drug susceptibility testing by the broth microdilution method. We describe here an unusual case of M. fortuitum infection that presented as Pott's disease identified by molecular test which was followed by treatment and successful cure of the disease.