Case Report: Mycobacterium abscessus knee joint infection following herbal steam bath: successful short-course oral therapy in an immunocompetent patient

Review of 20 MABC joint infection cases from the literature revealed the knee as the most frequently affected site (55%), with the majority of patients (95%) having a history of joint surgery. This case highlights: 1) Herbal steam therapy, degenerative joint disease, and prior interventions as underrecognized risk factors; 2) Rapid molecular diagnostics (MALDI-TOF MS/<i>hsp65</i>) critical for early diagnosis; 3) Short-course oral therapy (clarithromycin/linezolid) as a potential option for localized infection when prolonged therapy is impractical.