TY - JOUR AU - Piersimoni, Claudio AU - Scarparo, Claudio T1 - Extrapulmonary Infections Associated with Nontuberculous Mycobacteria in Immunocompetent Persons T2 - Emerging Infectious Disease journal PY - 2009 VL - 15 IS - 9 SP - 1351 SN - 1080-6059 AB - Over the past several years, the prevalence of human disease caused by nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) has increased. Whether the increase in cases is real or whether more cases are being recognized remains unclear. Despite a considerable increase in knowledge about NTM infections, they still represent a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge for several reasons: 1) pathogenic isolates may be indistinguishable from contaminant or saprophytic isolates; 2) timely and reliable identification of isolates may depend on proper communication between clinicians and laboratory staff; 3) lack of standardized susceptibility testing makes adoption of tailored therapies unrealistic; and 4) lack of treatment guidelines exposes patients to toxic drugs and disappointing outcomes. Laboratory research and multicenter controlled trials are needed to improve diagnosis and treatment of these infections. KW - Nontuberculous mycobacteria KW - immunocompetent subject KW - extrapulmonary infections KW - lymphadenitis KW - osteoarticular infections KW - skin and soft tissue infections KW - laboratory diagnosis KW - synopsis DO - 10.3201/eid1509.081259 UR - https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/15/9/08-1259_article ER - End of Reference