Mucoid variant of pseudomonas aeruginosa but not in cystic fibrosis lung

Mucoid variant of Pseudomonas is most commonly isolated from Cystic Fibrosis patients. We have isolated a hugely mucoid variant of it from sputum of two non-cystic fibrosis patients, one aged 75 years and another aged 35 years, both having chronic lung disease, admitted at Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine, West Bengal, India. Isolation of this variant of pseudomonas from non-cystic fibrosis lung prompted us to report the cases. Both the strain further tested found to produce biofilm by the qualitative detection method, the Tube method. During the years following initial colonization, the wild-type strains uniformly mutate into mucoid variants and the mucoid matrix is believed to allow the formation of protected biofilm. Once biofilm formed, it becomes a real challenge for the physician to eradicate the organism.