[Lung changes caused by Mycobacterium xenopi infection in a patient with bone marrow transplantation: problems in...

Pulmonary affections caused by atypical mycobacteria are an increasingly common problem particularly in patients with immune deficiency disorders. We here report a case of pulmonary infiltrates due to Mycobacterium xenopi in a patient after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for acute myeloid leukemia in first complete remission and under immunosuppressive treatment with prednisolone and Cyclosporin A. While sputum cultures, serology as well as bronchial lavage and transbronchial biopsy remained inconclusive, diagnosis could only be established by open lung biopsy. We suggest that particularly in immunocompromised patients unclear pulmonary infiltrates require rapid and possibly invasive diagnostic procedures.