title: [The presence of mycobacteria in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from an immunocompetent patient does not necessarily imply tuberculosis].
abstract: Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the most frequently identified mycobacterium in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of immunocompetent patients. Lung infections due to non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are rare in such patients and then often occur in the context of pre-existing chronic lung disease. We report the case of an immunocompetent 85-year-old woman without pre-existing lung disease in whom M. abscessus was recovered from BALF. Cytological examination of the BALF revealed an increased number of neutrophils and some acid-fast bacilli, all located within neutrophil cytoplasm. This case report contributes a cytological description of BALF in the context of M. abscessus infection, which is poorly detailed in the literature.
authors.affiliation: Centre de réhabilitation cardiorespiratoire La Maison du Mineur, 06140 Vence, France.
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vandenbos
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Marcq
authors.forename: Sébastien
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Novellas
authors.forename: Georges
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chyderiotis
authors.forename: Juliette
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Haudebourg
authors.forename: Maxime
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Benchetrit
authors.forename: Fanny
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Burel-Vandenbos
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D006332:Cardiomegaly / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007121:Immunocompetence / Q000276:immunology*; D009161:Mycobacterium / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009164:Mycobacterium Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000276:immunology; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000032:analysis; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000382:microbiology; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; D002097:C-Reactive Protein