A case of Mycobacterium avium infection: early detection by the auramine-O fluorescent technique

Infection due to Mycobacterium avium is rare in man and its definitive diagnosis is based upon culture, usually taken from a cervical lesion. The lack of systemic involvement, the negative history for contact with tuberculosis, the normal chest roentgenogram and the fact that Mycobacterium avium complex grows slowly on standard Mycobacterial media, make it difficult to diagnosis. The purpose of this communication is to re-emphasize the possibility of infection by group III Mycobacterium complex in the differential diagnosis of children with cervical lymphadenitis and to describe the important use of Auramine-O fluorescent stain in the early detection of this disease.