[Tuberculosis following mycobacteriosis. Apropos of 2 cases]

Case reports on two men are presented, one suffering from a super-infection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the other from Mycobacterium avium after recurrent mycobacterial infections. Both patients have died; one 15 years after first suffering from a M. kansasii infection (decompensated cor pulmonale) and the other 13 years after a M. avium infection (superinfection due to M. bovis). Both patients had chemotherapy followed by a pulmonary excision. The authors suggest protecting patients suffering from mycobacterial infections in order to avoid contamination by obligatory pathogenic mycobacteria, particularly during the period following cure. Indeed during this period the chemo-prophylactic action of the anti-tuberculous drugs given cannot play a part.