The immune reconstitution syndrome caused by nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) infection is reported in 9 of 153 HIV-infected children 2 to 26 weeks after initiation of antiretroviral therapy. The clinical syndrome included fever and dyspnea (2 children), fever and abdominal pain (3), subcutaneous nodules or suppurative lymphadenitis (4). The causative species were Mycobacterium avium (4), Myc...

Nontuberculous mycobacteria infrequently cause disseminated infections in immunocompetent hosts. However, they are increasingly being recognized in immunocompromised patients. We present the case of a 40-year-old HIV-positive male presenting with lymphadenopathies and pancytopenia in whom disseminated infection, with bone marrow involvement by Mycobacterium genavense (M. genavense) was diagnosed.

www.thoracic.org C LI P A N D C O P Y What causes NTM disease? NTM comprise more than 160 different species of bacteria that are found naturally in the environment. The existing species (types) of NTM can vary from place to place in the world. The most common species causing disease is called Mycobacterium avium complex. The next most common are Mycobacterium abscessus complex and Mycobacterium...

It is not known whether atypical Mycobacterium (AM) causes peritonitis in humans. We described a case of tuberculosis-like peritonitis caused by an AM. Genetic analysis of the biopsy specimens suggested an AM infection. Thus, we concluded that peritonitis in humans can be caused by some AM species as well as by Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex.

1 Falkinham JO. Nontuberculous mycobacteria in the environment. Clin Chest Med 2002; 23: 529–551. 2 Griffith DE, Aksamit T, Brown-Elliott BA, et al. An official ATS/IDSA statement: diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of nontuberculous mycobacterial diseases. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2007; 175: 367–416. 3 Hoefsloot W, Boeree MJ, van Nieuwkoop C, et al. No human transmission of Mycobacterium ma...

A blinded comparison of peptide nucleic acid-fluorescence in situ hybridization (PNA-FISH) with routine identification methods was performed on 74 consecutively positive mycobacterial liquid cultures. All Mycobacterium tuberculosis cultures (48 of 48) and 22 of 27 (81. 5%) nontuberculous cultures were correctly identified (including one mixed culture). Five isolates yielded no reaction with eit...

Mycobacterium wolinskyi is a nonpigmented, rapidly growing nontuberculous mycobacterium species that is associated with bacteremia, peritonitis, infections associated with implants/prostheses, and skin and soft tissue infections often following surgical procedures in humans. Here, we report the first functionally annotated draft genome sequence of M. wolinskyi CDC_01.

Tuberculosis of the genitourinary tract is a well-known cause of male infertility. However, infertility from infection by nontuberculous mycobacterium has not been reported. Herein, we present a case of seminal vesiculitis due to Mycobacterium gastri in a diabetic patient leading to male infertility. Improvement in semen quality was noticed after 6 months of therapy with isoniazid, ethambutol a...

Mycobacterium kansasii is a nontuberculous mycobacterium. It causes opportunistic infections with pulmonary and extrapulmonary manifestations. We report here the complete genome sequences of two M. kansasii strains isolated from rhesus macaques. We performed genome comparisons with human and environmental isolates of M. kansasii to assess the genomic diversity of this species.