Nontuberculous mycobacteria in patients with respiratory diseases (a clinical study)

Abstract

The aim of this study was to analyze medical reports of patients treated at the Federal Central Research Institute of Tuberculosis in 2011 to 2014. Methods. One hundred of medical reports have been analyzed. Nontuberculosis mycobacteria (NTM) were searched in sputum, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid or resected tissue samples. Microscopy of samples stained by Ziehel-Neelsen, culturing on liquid and solid media, and immunochro- matographic rapid test for Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex antigen detection were used. Nontuberculous mycobacteriosis was diagnosed according to ATS criteria. Results. The patients were 20 to 78 years of age. Most patients had pulmonary tuberculosis (44%) and chronic non-specific inflammatory respiratory diseases (45%). Common clinical symptoms were cough (98.2%), dyspnea (72.4%), haemophtysis (10.3%), fatigue (68.5%), loss of appetite (32.3%), and weight loss (12.5%). Radiological signs were in line with the underlying disease and were as follows: pulmonary nodules (6%), disseminated lesions (6%), tuberculomas (7%), cavities (12%), pulmonary infiltrates (8%), bullae (42%), ground glass opacities (5%), honeycombing (2%, bronchiectasis (20%), intrathoracic lymph node enlargement (5%), cirrhotic pulmonary lesions (19%), and combination of var-ious radiological signs (32%). Conclusion. Patients with chronic respiratory diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchiectasis, cystic fibrosis, pneumoconiosis. etc.; patients on long-term therapy with systemic steroids, patients with pulmonary tuberculosis or with a history of pulmonary tuberculosis are at risk of having nontuberculous mycobacteriosis.