title: Successful treatment of pulmonary infection due to Mycobacterium chelonae: case report and review.
abstract: During the past decade, Mycobacterium chelonae has been recognized with increasing frequency as a pulmonary pathogen. A review of previously reported cases reveals that most patients with pulmonary infections due to M. chelonae are nonimmunosuppressed but have underlying chronic lung disease. The infection is notably absent among blacks. M. chelonae organisms are characterized by a high degree of in vitro resistance to antituberculous drugs, and attempts at eradicating the organism through chemotherapy have been largely unsuccessful. The case of a 63-year-old previously healthy woman with progressive bilateral pulmonary disease due to M. chelonae is reported; she was treated successfully with a combination of cefoxitin and orally administered ciprofloxacin. Our experience supports the use of quinolones in combination with other active agents for the treatment of pulmonary infection due to M. chelonae.
authors.affiliation: Infectious Disease Section, VA Medical Center, University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15240.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: V L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D000583:Amikacin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002440:Cefoxitin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002939:Ciprofloxacin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009165:Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016926:Mycobacterium chelonae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D002939:Ciprofloxacin; D002440:Cefoxitin; D000583:Amikacin