Rapidly growing mycobacteria (RGM) are a rare but treatable cause of prosthetic joint infections. This study reports on two patients comprising three prosthetic joint infections caused by RGM successfully treated at the institution. With removal of the infected prosthetic joint and judicious use of prolonged courses of antibiotics, patients with prosthetic joint infections secondary to RGM can both be cured and retain function of the affected joint. In addition, this study identified 40 additional cases reported during an extensive review of the literature and provide a summary of these cases. These infections can present within days of arthroplasty or can develop only decades after the index surgery. The clinical presentations often mimic those of more routine bacterial prosthetic joint infections.
Keywords: Rapidly growing mycobacteria; arthroplasty; prosthetic joint infections.