- Katherine B Gibney: Infectious Diseases Unit and Northern Territory Clinical School, Royal Darwin Hospital, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.
BACKGROUND: Burkholderia pseudomallei is endemic in northern Australia, and melioidosis is a common cause of sepsis in the region.
METHODS: We summarized the cutaneous manifestations of melioidosis from a prospective cohort of 486 patients with culture-confirmed melioidosis in northern Australia, and we compared those who had primary skin melioidosis with those who had other forms of melioidosis.
RESULTS: Primary skin melioidosis occurred in 58 patients (12%). Secondary skin melioidosis--multiple pustules from hematogenous spread--was present in 10 patients (2%). Patients with primary skin melioidosis were more likely to have chronic presentations (duration, >or=2 months). On multivariate analysis, patients with primary cutaneous melioidosis were more likely to be children aged