The characteristics of mycobacterioses in patients with chronic lung diseases

<b>Aim:</b> To determine the characteristics of chronic lung diseases in patients with mycobacterioses caused by slowly growing nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM). We studied 51 patients with pulmonary mycobacterioses caused by slowly growing NTM; the average age was 54.1±0.3 yrs; disease duration was 19.5±0.5 months. In all patients the diagnosis was microbiologically verified. Out of them 25 (49%) were infected with M. avium, 21.5% – M. intracellulare, 9.8% – M. kansasii, 5.8% – M. xenopi, 3.9% – M. gordonae, 3.9% – M. lentiflavum. Four patients were co-infected with M. avium + M. intracellulare. We studied clinical and radiological patterns of mycobacterioses and concomitant lung diseases. According to HRCT, in 6 (11.7%) patients mycobacteriosis proceeded as a restricted form (a focus or a tuberculoma). In 45 (88.2%) it was associated with a chronic lung disease: in 25.9% – with chronic bronchitis and bronchiectasis; 20.7% – TB, 22.4% – COPD, 19% – bronchoectatic disease (BED) and cystic fibrosis, 6.9% – bronchial asthma (BA), 5.2% – chronic sarcoidosis, 3.4% – lung cancer, 3.4% – chemotherapy of other localizations cancer. In 10 (19.6%) patients we observed mycobacteriosis associated with more than one lung disease: TB+BED, COPD+BA, COPD+TB, COPD+BA +TB. Radiological patterns of mycobacterioses caused by slowly growing NTM were as follows: focal changes – 81.6%, bronchiectasis – 69.3%, bronchiectasis with infiltration of the surrounding lung tissue – 51%. Different degree fibrotic and cirrhotic changes were observed in 38.7%. Cavities were registered in 20% (infected with M. avium, M. kansasii, M. intracellulare), though morphologically they were referred to giant bronchiectasis.