The surgeon is rarely the first physician to examine the hand with a chronic infection. In most cases, simple treatment has been tried and has failed. The surgeon must think of atypical mycobacteria and fungi and then systematically make a diagnosis by biopsy and culture and by excluding other diseases and conditions. Because these infections can be very damaging to the hand or wrist, treatment should be rendered promptly and adequately. These general principles are no different from those followed in treating acute hand infections or actually for any disease.
外科医生很少是首位检查患有慢性感染手部的医生。在大多数情况下，已尝试过简单治疗但失败了。外科医生必须考虑非典型分枝杆菌和真菌，然后通过活检、培养以及排除其他疾病和病症来系统地做出诊断。由于这些感染对手部或腕部可能造成极大损害，所以应及时且充分地进行治疗。这些一般原则与治疗急性手部感染或实际上任何疾病所遵循的原则并无不同。
