Clinical manifestations of nontuberculous mycobacteria infections

The isolation of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) from clinical specimens has become very frequent in the last years. Such organisms are typically environmental and poorly pathogenic for humans; they can, however, be responsible for opportunistic diseases in subjects presenting with various predisposing conditions. Pulmonary infections are responsible for the most frequent disease caused by NTM, although the relevance of mycobacterioses involving other parts of the body is increasing. The risk of disseminated infections characterizing immunocompromised patients is well known, and those numbers are steadily rising. The lymph nodes, cutis and soft tissues, as well as bone and joints, are also important targets of NTM infection. The problems concerning the assessment of the clinical significance of NTM, along with a consideration of the more frequent NTM pathologies, are the major objectives of this review.