Mycobacterium fortuitum pulmonary infection complicating achalasia

Abstract

Achalasia is a cause of chronic aspiration pneumonia that may be complicated by pulmonary infection with Mycobacterium fortuitum. In any patient with achalasia, the presence of a pulmonary infiltrate that does not respond to routine antibiotic therapy should suggest the possibility of M fortuitum pulmonary infection, and sputum should be cultured for these organisms.