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Mycobacterium chelonae is a rapidly growing mycobacterium that has the potential to cause refractory infections in humans. Mycobacteremia resulting from the organism is extremely rare, and its clinical features are yet to be uncovered. We herein present a case of M. chelonae bloodstream infection involving an immunocompromised older patient. A 79-year-old woman, on a long-term treatment with prednisolone plus tacrolimus for rheumatoid arthritis, visited our outpatient department complaining of deteriorating pain and swelling at her right 1st toe. Laboratory parameters showed elevated C-reactive protein and leukocytosis, and magnetic resonance imaging indicated osteomyelitis at the proximal phalanx of her right 1st toe. Considering the refractory course, the infected toe was immediately amputated. M. chelonae was isolated from bacterial cultures of the resected tissue and blood (BD BACTEC™ FX blood culture system, Becton Dickinson, Sparks, MD, USA), leading to a diagnosis of disseminated M. chelonae infection. We treated the patient with an antibiotic combination of clarithromycin, minocycline, and imipenem (2 weeks), which was converted to oral therapy of clarithromycin, doxycycline, and levofloxacin. This case highlighted the potential pathogenesis of M. chelonae to cause mycobacteremia in an immunocompromised patient.

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