title: Thin-section CT findings of nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary diseases: comparison between Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare complex and Mycobacterium abscessus infection.
abstract: We aimed to compare the CT findings of nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary diseases caused by Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare complex (MAC) and Mycobacterium abscessus. Two chest radiologists analyzed retrospectively the thin-section CT findings of 51 patients with MAC and 36 with M. abscessus infection in terms of patterns and forms of lung lesions. No significant difference was found between MAC and M. abscessus infection in the presence of small nodules, tree-in-bud pattern, and bronchiectasis. However, lobar volume decrease (p=0.001), nodule (p=0.018), airspace consolidation (p=0.047) and thin-walled cavity (p=0.009) were more frequently observed in MAC infection. The upper lobe cavitary form was more frequent in the MAC (19 of 51 patients, 37%) group than M. abscessus (5 of 36, 14%) (p=0.029), whereas the nodular bronchiectatic form was more frequent in the M. abscessus group ([29 of 36, 81%] vs. [27 of 51, 53%] in MAC) (p=0.012). In conclusion, there is considerable overlap in common CT findings of MAC and M. abscessus pulmonary infection; however, lobar volume loss, nodule, airspace consolidation, and thin-walled cavity are more frequently seen in MAC than M. abscessus infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology and Center for Imaging Science, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Myung Jin
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Kyung Soo
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Won-Jung
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Koh
authors.forename: Ju Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Tae Sung
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: O Jung
authors.initials: OJ
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Seonwoo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019412:Anatomy, Cross-Sectional / Q000379:methods; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009165:Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000382:microbiology; D015270:Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare Infection / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000382:microbiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D036542:Tomography, Spiral Computed / Q000379:methods*; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging