Non-tuberculous mycobacterial infection in children with cancer.
Reported here is the clinical presentation and management of patients with rapidly growing non-tuberculous mycobacterial infection diagnosed in a paediatric oncology unit. A retrospective analysis that correlated patient isolates with the children's cancer registry revealed two cases of non-tuberculous mycobacterial infection; both had been observed within the last 6 years and were due to Mycobacterium chelonae. The first case was line-associated and the second was a disseminated infection. In both cases the patients were lymphopenic and had had indwelling vascular catheters. Neither patient was neutropenic. The literature on mycobacterial infection in children with cancer is also reviewed.
Department of Clinical Microbiology, Royal Victoria Infirmary NHS Trust, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK.
J C
JC
Graham
D A
DA
Tweddle
D R
DR
Jenkins
C
C
Pollitt
S J
SJ
Pedler
D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008527:Medulloblastoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D009165:Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology; D016926:Mycobacterium chelonae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009396:Wilms Tumor / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology