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Pulmonary Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Disease: New Insights into Risk Factors for Susceptibility, Epidemiology, and Approaches to Management in Immunocompetent and Immunocompromised Patients

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Abstract

Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are ubiquitous in the environment and cause a wide range of diseases in humans. Pulmonary involvement, the most common disease manifestation of NTM infection, is being increasingly encountered in clinical settings. In addition, specific phenotypic and genetic characteristics of persons predisposed to contract pulmonary NTM disease are now beginning to be recognized. Prior to treatment, patients should meet clinical and microbiologic criteria for NTM disease. Treatment involves prolonged courses of antibiotics in various combination regimens that are often discontinued because of serious side effects. In some cases, complete cure of pulmonary disease is difficult to achieve. Rather, clinical improvement may be a more feasible goal. Surgical treatment is warranted for select patients.

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Disclosure

This work was supported by the Intramural Research Program of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health.

The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the US Department of Health and Human Services.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Immunopathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Clinical Infectious Diseases/NIAID, 9000 Rockville Pike; Building 10, Room 11N234, Bethesda, MD, 20892-1888, USA

    Paul Saleeb & Kenneth N. Olivier

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  1. Paul Saleeb
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  2. Kenneth N. Olivier
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Correspondence to Kenneth N. Olivier.

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Saleeb, P., Olivier, K.N. Pulmonary Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Disease: New Insights into Risk Factors for Susceptibility, Epidemiology, and Approaches to Management in Immunocompetent and Immunocompromised Patients. Curr Infect Dis Rep 12, 198–203 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11908-010-0103-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11908-010-0103-6

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