Clinical characteristics of pulmonary Mycobacterium lentiflavum disease in adult patients

Abstract

The clinical characteristics of pulmonary M. lentiflavum disease in adult patients were identified. This disease mainly affects females, displays a nodular/bronchiectatic pattern on chest computed tomography imaging, and does not demonstrate an aggressive clinical course. Further larger studies are needed to reveal detailed clinical features.

Solitary pulmonary nodule caused by pulmonary Mycobacterium lentiflavum infection

“…The imaging findings were nodular bronchiectatic pattern in two cases and solitary nodule pattern in one case. As per a previous report, M. lentiflavum lung infection is typically characterized by nodular bronchiectatic or fibrocavitary pattern [ 5 ]. In this report, we present a case of pulmonary M. lentiflavum infection that presented as a solitary nodule resembling lung cancer.…”

“…Therefore, this is only the second case. Yagi et al reported 16 cases of M. lentiflavum infections [ 5 ]. In most cases, the imaging findings were either nodular bronchiectatic or fibrocavitary pattern.…”

“…A previous report that summarized 16 cases found no exacerbations in any of the cases. A total of 62.5% of these patients were treated with anti-mycobacterial combination therapy, whereas 37.5% of them did not receive treatment and were followed up [ 5 ]. Similarly, in the present case, observation or combination chemotherapy would have been sufficient for the patient's management if the patient was diagnosed based on a biopsy.…”

Pseudo-outbreak of Mycobacterium lentiflavum at a general hospital in Japan

“…Mycobacterium lentiflavum is a low-pathogenic bacterium. [3][4][5][6] We considered it a contaminant in all but 1 case (patient 10). That patient's isolate was treated, but her condition did not worsen although treatment was discontinued early, suggesting that her case, too, may have represented contamination.…”

“…3,4 However, infections caused by M. lentiflavum can occur in immunocompromised hosts, such as those with chronic respiratory disease, leukemia, those undergoing dialysis, or those with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. 5,6 NTM detection in clinical samples, such as sputum, does not always imply an infection, and the possibility of patient colonization or environmental contamination needs to be considered. 7 For NTM diagnosis, mycobacterial culture of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) samples obtained using a bronchoscope is considered to be more diagnostically valuable than mycobacterial culture of sputum samples.…”