title: Demonstration of cord formation by rough Mycobacterium abscessus variants: implications for the clinical microbiology laboratory.
abstract: In low-income countries some infections caused by nontuberculous mycobacteria are misdiagnosed as multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. In most of these settings the observation of microscopic cords is the only technique used to identify Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the laboratory. In this article we definitively demonstrate that Mycobacterium abscessus, an emerging pulmonary pathogen, also forms microscopic cords.
authors.affiliation: Servei de Microscòpia Electrònica, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Chardi
authors.forename: Francesc
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Olivares
authors.forename: Thomas F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Byrd
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Julián
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brambilla
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Luquin
mesh_terms: D001431:Bacteriological Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008853:Microscopy / Q000379:methods; D009161:Mycobacterium / Q000166:cytology* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009165:Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology*