[The presence of mycobacteria in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from an immunocompetent patient does not necessarily imply tuberculosis].
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.
Vandenbos
Frédéric
F
Centre de réhabilitation cardiorespiratoire La Maison du Mineur, 06140 Vence, France.
Marcq
Laurent
L
Novellas
Sébastien
S
Chyderiotis
Georges
G
Haudebourg
Juliette
J
Benchetrit
Maxime
M
Burel-Vandenbos
Fanny
F
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
D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; D002097:C-Reactive Protein