Aggressive mycobacterium abscessus on repeated exogenous lipoid pneumonia in the right middle lobe

Abstract

A 65-year-old woman with no underlying disease had been repeated the development and improvement of lipoid pneumonia in the Rt. lower lobe. On a continuous follow up scan, this lesion showed a very aggressive tendency so that the CT-guided lung biopsy was performed to exclude lung cancer. However, as there was no consistent clinical course with the result, she performed the video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS), wedge resection of Rt. lower lobe. Finally, nontuberculous mycobacterium (NTM) infection was confirmed, not lung cancer, and improved by proper treatment. We report this case for the following reasons: unlike previously reported cases, NTM infection occurred in an unusual situation and uncommon imaging findings similar to lung cancer confused the early diagnosis.