Mycetoma is an infectious disease of skin and subcutaneous tissue. It can be caused by either bacteria (actinomycetoma) or fungi (eumycetoma [DS:H02385] ). It is endemic in tropical and subtropical regions, predominating between latitudes 15 degrees south and 30 degrees north, called mycetoma belt. Actinomycetoma is most commonly found in Latin America. Although Nocardia brasiliensis, Actinomadura madurae, Actinomadura pelletieri and Streptomyces somaliensis are the common causative organisms of actinomycetoma, the distribution of them shows strong geographic variation. The primary niche of these microorganisms is suggested to be the soil. The infection is thought to start subcutaneously after traumatic inoculation of these microorganisms.
