Subjects:
Infectious Diseases, Journal CME, Medical Education
Topics:
cystic fibrosis, lung diseases, lung infections, lymphadenitis, mycobacterium infections, atypical, skin and soft tissue infections, mycobacterium infections, mycobacterium abscessus, mycobacterium, lung

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Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) include all mycobacteria other than Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mycobacterium bovis, and Mycobacterium leprae. Children are constantly exposed to NTM, yet clinical signs of infection are unusual. NTM exist primarily in the environment, causing human disease as opportunistic pathogens in the appropriate clinical context. Lymphadenitis is far and away the most common manifestation of NTM disease in children. Other, less common, manifestations include skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs), lung infections, and disseminated disease. Since the last review of NTM disease in Pediatrics in Review, (3) several important developments have occurred, including changes in the epidemiology and treatment, which are reviewed herein.

Currently there are more than 170 recognized NTM species, although a limited number of species cause human disease. It survives inside amoeba, and the traits that promote this process may also allow for successful...

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