Background: To assess the incidence and features of environmental mycobacteria that can produce disease over a ten years period (1980-1990) in an University Hospital from Madrid (Spain).
Methods: Medical records of all patients in whom and environmental mycobacteria that can produce disease had been isolated were reviewed and classified as definite, possible or not clinically significant isolates, according to clinical features and microbiologic findings.
Results: Mycobacterium species were isolated in 415 patients (491 clinical samples over a total of 3003, 16.3%). In 29 patients a environmental mycobacteria that can produce disease was identified. Medical records from 25 patients were retrieved, being this mycobacteria isolated classified as with definite clinical significance in 8 cases, with possible clinical significance in 4, and without clinical significance in 13 cases. Clinical features in the significant cases were: lung infection (3 cases), pleural and pericardial disease (1 case), peritonitis (1) and soft tissue infection (1) Two patients died. Surgical excision of the lesion was performed in the remaining patients, and clinical cure was achieved in five cases.
Conclusions: The most prevalent mycobacterial infection in our environment is still due to M. tuberculosis infection, followed by M.avium-intracellulare. Surgical treatment is a valid approach in patients with localized infection by environmental mycobacteria that can produce diseases.