Mycobacterium avium complex

For a diagnosis of pulmonary disease, all three criteria - clinical, radiographic, and bacteriologic - must be satisfied.[30]Griffith DE, Aksamit T, Brown-Elliott BA, et al. An official ATS/IDSA statement: diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of nontuberculous mycobacterial diseases. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2007 Feb 15;175(4):367-416. https://www.atsjournals.org/doi/full/10.1164/rccm.200604-571ST http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17277290?tool=bestpractice.com

1. Clinical criteria

• Respiratory symptoms that may be accompanied by additional constitutional signs and symptoms (cough, fatigue, fever, weight loss, hemoptysis)

• Reasonable exclusion of other diseases (e.g., tuberculosis, cancer, histoplasmosis) to explain condition.

2. Radiologic criteria

• Nodular or cavitary opacities on chest radiograph, or

• Bronchiectasis with multiple small nodules on high-resolution computed tomography scan.

3. Microbiologic criteria

Positive culture results

• At least two separate expectorated sputum samples, or

• At least one bronchial wash or lavage, or

• Transbronchial or other lung biopsy with granulomatous inflammation or positive acid-fast bacillus stain with positive culture for nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) from the biopsy or sputum/bronchial washings, or

• From usually sterile extra pulmonary site.