Rapidly-growing mycobacteria (RGM) may cause disseminated infection in patients with impaired host defenses. These infections are difficult to treat and have a poor prognosis.
Species of mycobacteria usually involved:
(1) M. abscessus
(2) M. chelonae
(3) M. fortuitum
The patient is often an older adult.
Risk factors for disseminated infection:
(1) hematologic neoplasm
(2) renal, hematopoietic stem cell (HSCT) or other transplant
(3) autoimmune disease
(4) inborn defects in cytokine pathways (interferon-gamma, interleukin 12, other)
(5) recent chemotherapy
(6) immunosuppressive therapy that has significantly reduced cellular immunity
It is important to perform susceptibility testing on culture isolates in order to select an antibiotic regimen to which the organism is sensitive.
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