[Nontuberculous bacterial infection in immunocompetent children]

Nontuberculous or environmental mycobacterial disease in children has been increasingly recognized over the last decade. We present four patients who were diagnosed in the year 2000. The children were aged between 2 and 8 years. Three patients presented involvement of the cervical lymph nodes and one presented involvement of the inguinal nodes. Three of the children were treated with a combination of surgery and chemotherapy and one was treated with chemotherapy alone. We describe the clinical characteristics, laboratory findings, therapeutic management and complications of nontuberculous mycobacterial lymphadenitis in children.