Uncategorized
  • Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Infection
  • NTM
    • important cause of
      • pulmonary and
      • extrapulmonary infections.
      •  mostly caused by MAC, a group of
        • Mycobacteria comprising
          • M intracellulare and
          •  M avium
            • radiologic features overlap with those of pulmonary TB.
          • Others less frequently than MAC
              • M kansasii, M fortuitum, M chelonae, M abscesus, M gordonae, M xenopi, an
          • NTM pulmonary infections
            • immunocompetent patients  characterized by
              • necrotizing granulomas containing
              • AFB
                • indistinguishable from MTb.
        • NTM
          • ubiquitous
            • especially in soil and water,
            • common contaminant of sputum
              • PCR can be used to distinguish between
              • MTb and NTM.