Radiologic types of Mycobacterium xenopi pulmonary disease:different patients with similar short-term outcomes

Abstract

AbstractMycobacterium xenopi pulmonary disease (Mxe-PD) is common among nontuberculous mycobacterial infections in Europe andCanada. Associations between radiological pattern and clinical features and outcomes are inadequately studied in Mxe-PD. Wesought to investigate clinical characteristics and outcomes according to the dominant radiological pattern among patients withMxe-PD. We retrospectively studied patients with Mxe-PD seen in our clinic, categorizing their predominant CT pattern asnodular bronchiectasis, fibrocavitary, or unclassifiable, and compared clinical characteristics, treatment, and outcomes betweenradiologic groups. Of 94 patients with Mxe-PD, CT patterns comprised nodular bronchiectasis (40/94, 42.6%), fibrocavitary (37/94, 39.4%), and unclassifiable (17/94, 18.1%). Compared with fibrocavitation, patients with nodular bronchiectasis were femaledominant, less often had COPD, less often had AFB smear-positive sputum, and more frequently had co-isolation ofPseudomonas. Patients with nodular bronchiectasis were less often treated (65% versus 91.9%) and when treated, they receivedfewer anti-mycobacterial drugs (on average 3 versus 4). Outcomes did not differ significantly by radiological pattern. Nodularbronchiectasis was common among Mxe-PD patients in our clinic. Compared with fibrocavitary disease, patients with nodularbronchiectasis had features suggestive of milder disease and were less often treated. Among treated patients, outcomes did notdiffer by radiologic pattern.Keywords Mycobacterium xenopi . Nontuberculous mycobacteria . Chest CT . Nodular bronchiectasi