Retrospective analysis of non-tuberculous mycobacterial skin infections: diagnostic accuracy, treatment efficacy, and PCR-based species detection in a Chinese primary care hospital.

ABSTRACT: Non-tuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) skin infections present diagnostic and therapeutic challenges in resource-limited primary care settings. This retrospective study evaluated the diagnosis and treatment of NTM skin infections at a primary care hospital in Shouguang City, a coastal region of China with high-risk occupational exposure to aquatic environments, from 2021 to 2022. We analyzed 144 patients, using real-time PCR on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples to validate empirical diagnoses based on clinical symptoms, exposure history, and histopathology. Our results demonstrated a high concordance (79.17%) between empirical and molecular diagnoses, confirming the reliability of the primary care hospital's diagnostic approach. Real-time PCR successfully identified speci

SUBMITTER: Xu T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12710309 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature