Endobronchial lesions involved in Mycobacterium avium infection

Mycobacterium avium (M. avium) has been described traditionally as an opportunistic organism that causes disseminated disease in the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive population and that acts as a pulmonary pathogen in patients with underlying lung disease such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or previously diagnosed tuberculosis. Pulmonary involvement of M. avium may range from asymptomatic colonization of the airway to invasive parenchymal or cavitary disease. However, endobronchial lesions involved in M. avium infection are rare in either immunocompetent or immunosuppressed hosts. We report here endobronchial mycobacterial infection in a HIV-negative patient.