Journeau Pierre, Fitoussi Franck, Jehanno Pascal, Padovani Jean-Paul, Pennecot Georges-François
Paediatric Surgery Department, Le Mans Hospital, Le Mans, France. p.journeau@chu-nancy-fr
J Pediatr Orthop B. 2003 May;12(3):229-32. doi: 10.1097/01.bpb.0000060282.96739.65.
The authors report three cases of skin ulcer, called Buruli's ulcer. This is a tropical disease, caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans. The diagnosis is often belated, because the infection is rare in Europe. Diagnosis is based on the clinical aspects, and can be confirmed by a biopsy and a molecular study. A culture is needed to test antibiotics. Treatment is always surgical, including a wide excision of all lesions, and specific oral antibiotics for 6 months.