Novel pulmonary presentation of mycobacterium interjectum

Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) have been shown to cause disseminated disease in immunocompromised individuals as well as local infection in the immunocompetent. In 2006, the incidence of NTM disease varied from 1.0 to 1.8 cases per 100,000 in industrialised countries. The number of NTM species and diagnoses have increased dramatically as a result of improved isolation techniques and sequencing of the 16S rRNA as a standard for identifying new species. The NTM known as Mycobacterium interjectum has been well documented as a source of infection in children and immunocompromised adults; however, there are no descriptions of disease in healthy individuals. To date, no human-to-human transmission has been described, and infections are believed to be acquired from environmental exposure. The following is a description of significant pulmonary disease in an immunocompetent gentleman with M. interjectum as the identified pathogen.