Isolation of Mycobacterium chelonei from a patient with recurrent aspiration pneumonia

Non-tuberculous mycobacteria are rarely isolated in South African laboratories. Mycobacterium chelonei has previously been shown to cause pulmonary disease, especially in the clinical setting of aspiration and lipoid pneumonia. Isolation of non-tuberculous mycobacteria is not proof of pathogenicity; casual cultures may occur from contamination and colonization of the upper airways. We report a patient with recurrent aspiration and lipoid pneumonia in whom a confluent culture of Myco. chelonei was obtained from bronchial washings. Although the clinical setting for true pathogenicity was present, subsequent investigations led us to conclude that the organism was a casual mycobacterium.