A Rare Case of Chronic Otitis Media Caused by Mycobacterium massiliense in a Healthy Adult

Mycobacterium massiliense (M. massiliense) is a novel nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) and an opportunistic pathogen that lives in the water, soil, food, and air. It is a subspecies of the rapidly growing mycobacteria Mycobacterium abscessus. This atypical pathogen has been reported mainly in patients with lung disease or those undergoing cosmetic or surgical procedures. A 62-year-old woman presented with productive otorrhea for 10 months, no history of surgery, and chronic otitis media. M. massiliense was identified from a tissue specimen using real-time polymerase chain reaction for NTM (Biosewoom, Seoul, Korea), and NTM was identified by acid-fast bacilli culture. Successful treatment consisted of clarithromycin for 4 months. No other case of chronic otitis media related to M. massiliense has been reported. This is the first confirmed case of chronic otitis media caused by M. massiliense in a healthy adult in South Korea. (Korean J Med 2020;95:276-280)