Acute pneumonia and empyema caused by Mycobacterium intracellulare.
Nontuberculous mycobacterial infection is rarely accompanied by pleural involvement. We report a very rare case of M. intracellulare pulmonary disease with pleural empyema. A 56-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of fever, purulent sputum and pleuritic chest pain. A chest radiograph and CT revealed pneumonic consolidation in the left lower lobe and loculated hydropneumothorax. The sputum smear was positive for acid fast bacilli. The aspirated pleural fluid was grossly purulent and the smear of the pleural effusion was also positive for acid fast bacilli. M. intracellulare was identified by culture and PCR from sputum and pleural fluid specimens. The patient improved with percutaneous tube drainage of the purulent effusion and antibiotic treatment including clarithromycin, rifampicin, ethambutol and streptomycin.
Park
Sang-Un
SU
Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Koh
Won-Jung
WJ
Kwon
O Jung
OJ
Park
Hye Yun
HY
Jun
Hyun Jung
HJ
Joo
Eun-Jeong
EJ
Lee
Nam Yong
NY
Kim
Tae Sung
TS
Lee
Kyung Soo
KS
Park
Young Kil
YK
D000208:Acute Disease; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004322:Drainage; D016724:Empyema, Pleural / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015269:Mycobacterium avium Complex; D015270:Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare Infection / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D011030:Pneumothorax / Q000382:microbiology
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents