Thoracoscopic right middle lobectomy for Mycobacterium abscessus in a young patient suspected of having congenital immunodeficiency

Abstract

Mycobacterium abscessus (M. abscessus) infection is resistant to multi-antibacterial treatment, and surgical resection is often recommended. We report a case of M. abscessus infection in a young patient suspected of having a GATA2 mutation. A 19-year-old woman with a medical history of severe sinusitis and a family history of non-tuberculous mycobacteriosis presented at our hospital. M. abscessus was confirmed by sputum culture. The patient received multidrug therapy, including clarithromycin. CT scan demonstrated bronchodilation and capacity decrease due to non-obstructive atelectasis in the middle lobe. We performed thoracoscopic resection without complications. Congenital immunodeficiency was suspected given the patient's past medical and family history. The result of lymphocyte subset analysis revealed a GATA2 mutation, but no genetic mutation was detected by a next-generation sequencer. The patient followed a good clinical course. This paper reports the successful treatment of an M. abscessus infection and the importance of checking the genetic background of young patients.

Keywords: GATA2 mutation; Mycobacterium abscessus; surgical resection.