title: The epidemiology of pulmonary nontuberculous mycobacteria: data from a general hospital in Athens, Greece, 2007-2013.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The epidemiology of pulmonary nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) in Greece is largely unknown.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the incidence and the demographic, microbiological, and clinical characteristics of patients with pulmonary NTM infection and pulmonary NTM disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective review of the demographic, microbiological, and clinical characteristics of patients with NTM culture-positive respiratory specimens from January 2007 to May 2013.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 120 patients were identified with at least one respiratory NTM isolate and 56 patients (46%) fulfilled the microbiological ATS/IDSA criteria for NTM disease. Of patients with adequate data, 16% fulfilled the complete ATS/IDSA criteria for NTM disease. The incidence of pulmonary NTM infection and disease was 18.9 and 8.8 per 100.000 inpatients and outpatients, respectively. The spectrum of NTM species was high (13 species) and predominated by M. avium-intracellulare complex (M. avium (13%), M. intracellulare (10%)), M. gordonae (14%), and M. fortuitum (12%). The ratio of isolation of NTM to M. tuberculosis in all hospitalized patients was 0.59.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The first data on the epidemiology of pulmonary NTM in Athens, Greece, are presented. NTM infection is common in patients with chronic respiratory disease. However, only a significantly smaller proportion of patients fulfill the criteria for NTM disease.
authors.affiliation: 2nd Respiratory Medicine Department, Sismanoglio-A. Fleming General Hospital of Attiki, Sismanogliou 1, 15126 Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Marios
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-8828-9114
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Panagiotou
authors.affiliation: 2nd Respiratory Medicine Department, Sismanoglio-A. Fleming General Hospital of Attiki, Sismanogliou 1, 15126 Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Andriana I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Papaioannou
authors.affiliation: 2nd Respiratory Medicine Department, University of Athens Medical School, Attikon Hospital, Smolika 2, 16673 Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-0774-3942
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kostikas
authors.affiliation: 2nd Respiratory Medicine Department, Sismanoglio-A. Fleming General Hospital of Attiki, Sismanogliou 1, 15126 Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Paraskeua
authors.affiliation: Department of Biopathology, Sismanoglio-A. Fleming General Hospital of Attiki, Sismanogliou 1, 15126 Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Ekaterini
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Velentza
authors.affiliation: Department of Biopathology, Sismanoglio-A. Fleming General Hospital of Attiki, Sismanogliou 1, 15126 Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kanellopoulou
authors.affiliation: 2nd Respiratory Medicine Department, Sismanoglio-A. Fleming General Hospital of Attiki, Sismanogliou 1, 15126 Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Vasiliki
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Filaditaki
authors.affiliation: 2nd Respiratory Medicine Department, Sismanoglio-A. Fleming General Hospital of Attiki, Sismanogliou 1, 15126 Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Napoleon
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Karagiannidis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006769:Hospitals, General / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009165:Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D015269:Mycobacterium avium Complex; D015270:Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare Infection / Q000453:epidemiology; D019907:Mycobacterium fortuitum; D009170:Nontuberculous Mycobacteria; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D055815:Young Adult