title: [Clinical evaluation on isolation of Mycobacterium kansasii in our hospital].
abstract: METHODS
  We retrospectively evaluated 49 cases from whom Mycobacterium kansasii (MK) was isolated from 1992 to 2001 in our hospital.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The annual numbers of MK patients have increased. One of the clinical characteristics of patients in our cases was relatively low rate of cavitary lesions. In 13 patients who had not fulfilled the diagnostic criteria of MK infection, the clinical disease due to MK did not appear at all during observation period ranging one month to ten years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that MK isolation from clinical specimens is not always considered clinically significant, but may be colonization.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Tenri Hospital, Nara, Japan. tetsuinoue@tenriyorozu-hp.or.jp
authors.forename: Tetsuro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Eisaku
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Terufumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Minoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sakuramoto
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Maeda
authors.forename: Ko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Maniwa
authors.forename: Yoshio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Taguchi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009165:Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D019909:Mycobacterium kansasii / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis