title: Mycobacterium celatum pulmonary infection in the immunocompetent: case report and review.
abstract: Mycobacterium celatum has been shown to cause disease in immunocompromised patients. We report a case of serious pulmonary infection caused by M. celatum in an apparently immunocompetent patient and review the characteristics of two other reported cases. Clinical and radiologic symptoms and signs included cough, malaise, and weight loss associated with cavitary lesions and pulmonary infiltrates. Although M. celatum is easy to detect in clinical specimens by liquid and solid media, it may be misidentified as a member of the M. tuberculosis complex or as M. xenopi. M. celatum pulmonary infection appears to respond to antimycobacterial chemotherapy, particularly with clarithromycin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Microbiology, Umberto I-Torrette Hospital, Ancona, Italy. piersim@tin.it
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Piersimoni
authors.forename: Pier Giorgio
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Zitti
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nista
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bornigia
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007121:Immunocompetence; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009161:Mycobacterium / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity