[Lung diseases caused by non-tuberculous mycobacteria in East Germany and Hungary]

Despite the decrease of new cases of pulmonary tuberculosis also between 1982 and 1986 an increase in nontuberculous mycobacteriosis can be seen especially in the GDR and also in Hungary. In 1986 the ratio of recognized lung diseases caused by nontuberculous mycobacteria to all newly diagnosed bacillary cases was 4.1% in the GDR and 2.2% in Hungary. In Hungary, M. xenopi was the most important potential pathogenic species of nontuberculous mycobacteria during the whole period, followed by M. kansasii. In the GDR at the beginning most cases of nontuberculous mycobacteriosis were caused by M. kansasii later, M. xenopi was most frequent. Most of the patients with nontuberculous mycobacteriosis were men older than 50 years of age.