Predicting the Need to Resume Treatment When Managing Mycobacterium avium Complex

Refractory MAC pulmonary disease with extensive lung destruction and inflammation often necessitates re-treatment.

Chronic respiratory infection with Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) necessitates treatment with lengthy antimicrobial regimens that fail 40% of the time. Optimal management after 12 months of therapy in patients with MAC is unknown.

Zo and colleagues queried the nontuberculous mycobacterium registry of a single medical center in Korea and excluded patients who were successfully treated, died, or were lost to follow-up. They retrospectively assessed clinical course, sputum culture, and chest imaging in 271 patients with persistent MAC pulmonary disease who had completed treatment (median duration, 24 months). Of these, 51% required re-treatment due to clinical or radiographic worsening (re-treatment group) and 49% remained stable without nee…

Reviewing Author

George Sakoulas, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardParatek Pharmaceuticals; Nestle Corp.; AbbVie; Shionogi

Speaker’s BureauAllergan/AbbVie; Paratek Pharmaceuticals; Nestle Corp.

RoyaltiesUpToDate

Editorial BoardsAntimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy; Open Forum Infectious Diseases