Lung Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Infections

Excerpt

Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are ubiquitous in the environment and responsible for opportunistic infections affecting both immunocompromised and immunocompetent hosts. The incidence of the disease from NTM has been gradually increasing worldwide, becoming, in recent years, an emerging public health problem. As a result, various international guidelines, including the American Thoracic Society (ATS) and the British Thoracic Society, have been used to diagnose and manage clinical pulmonary NTM. In 2020, a guideline consensus was released as a collaboration between the ATS, the European Respiratory Society (ERS), the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), and the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID).

As new data have led to an increased understanding of pulmonary NTM infections, guidelines continue to be updated to reflect emerging evidence. With new medical advances based on molecular microbiology and the recognition of pulmonary NTM as causing complicated infections, the diagnosis of most NTM is becoming more precise and efficient. This article will summarize and review key features of NTM pulmonary infections, including the epidemiology, clinical features, diagnostic workup, and management of NTM, focusing on the multidisciplinary team approach to improve the clinical care of individuals with NTM pulmonary infections.