title: Megaesophagus and pneumonia associated with Mycobacterium chelonei. A case report and a literature review.
abstract: The case of a 37-year-old woman who developed a subacute, bilateral, noncavitary pneumonia 5 years after a colon interposition esophagoplasty is presented. Mycobacterium chelonei, subspecies abscessus, was assigned a pathogenic role based on the findings of (1) a clinical and roentgenographic picture consistent with tuberculosis, (2) sputum smears showing acid-fast bacilli, (3) repeated sputum cultures yielding heavy growths of Mycobacterium chelonei, subspecies abscessus, and (4) a 12-mm by 12 mm-skin test response to homologous antigen (purified protein derivative-CL) with no response to an equivalent dose of purified protein derivative-S. The patient recovered fully without significant antituberculous chemotherapy. A survey of the literature revealed 11 similar case reports featuring a documented association between megaesophagus and pulmonary infection with rapidly growing mycobacteria.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003106:Colon / Q000637:transplantation; D004935:Esophageal Diseases / Q000150:complications; D004944:Esophagoplasty / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009161:Mycobacterium / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009164:Mycobacterium Infections / Q000175:diagnosis; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D011859:Radiography