A resected case of pulmonary infectious disease due to Mycobacterium szulgai

Abstract

A 46-year-old male was diagnosed with Mycobacterium szulgai pulmonary disease by his chest X-ray appearance and a culture test of his sputum. He was treated with isoniazid (INH), rifampicin (RFP) and ethambutol (EB) for six months. Two years later, because M. szulgai was detected again, treatment with RFP, ethionamide (TH) and clarithromycin (CAM) was done for six months. On March 2001, the infiltrative shadow became worse, and a thin - walled cavity appeared on his chest X-ray. M. szulgai was detected again. So we considered that surgical resection was indicated for his disease, and right upper lobectomy was performed. His clinical course was uneventful, and culture tests were negative for mycobacteria after surgery. Pulmonary diseases due to M. szulgai are rare and usually well controlled by treatment with antimycobacterial drugs. But for some uncontrollable cases, surgical resection must be considered.