Tuberc Respir Dis.  2008 Apr;64(4):293-297. 10.4046/trd.2008.64.4.293.

Successful Treatment of Mycobacterium fortuitum Lung Disease with Oral Antibiotic Therapy: a Case Report

• Park S
• Suh GY
• Chung MP
• Kim H
• Kwon OJ
• Koh WJ

• KMID: 1970180
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4046/trd.2008.64.4.293

Abstract

Mycobacterium fortuitum usually causes colonization or transient infection in patients with underlying lung disease, such as prior tuberculosis or bronchiectasis. The majority of these patients may not need to receive antibiotic therapy for M. fortuitum isolates. We report here on a patient with M. fortuitum lung disease and who was successfully treated with combination oral antibiotic therapy. A 53-year-old woman was referred to our institution because of purulent sputum and dyspnea. A chest radiograph and computed tomography scan revealed cavitary consolidation in the left upper lobe and multiple small cavities in the left lower lobe. Numerous acid-fast bacilli (AFB) were seen in multiple sputum specimens and M. fortuitum was identified by culture from the sputum specimens. The patient received antibiotic treatment including clarithromycin, ciprofloxacin and sulfamethoxazole, because her symptoms were worsening despite conservative treatment. Sputum conversion was achieved after one month of antibiotic therapy. Both the patient's symptoms and radiographic findings improved after 10 months of antibiotic therapy.

Keyword

Mycobacterium fortuitum; Atypical mycobacteria; Lung disease

MeSH Terms

Bronchiectasis
Ciprofloxacin
Clarithromycin
Colon
Dyspnea
Female
Humans
Lung
Lung Diseases
Middle Aged
Mycobacterium
Mycobacterium fortuitum
Nontuberculous Mycobacteria
Sputum
Sulfamethoxazole
Thorax
Tuberculosis
Ciprofloxacin
Clarithromycin
Sulfamethoxazole

Figure

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  Figure 1 A 53-year-old woman with Mycobacterium fortuitum lung disease. The chest radiography shows a large cavitary consolidation in the left upper lobe (A). Reformatted coronal CT shows essentially the same findings as in A, with a large cavitary consolidation in the left upper lobe (B). Also note multiple nodules and consolidations in the left lower lobe.

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  Figure 2 A 53-year-old woman with Mycobacterium fortuitum lung disease. Before antibiotic treatment, chest CT shows the peribronchial consolidation in the lingular segment of the left upper lobe and multiple cavities in the left lower lobe (A, B). After 10 months of antibiotic treatment, chest CT shows improvement of the peribronchial consolidation (C, D). Also note improvement of multiple cavitary lesions in the left lower lobe.

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