Mycobacterium gordonae: a possible opportunistic respiratory tract pathogen in patients with advanced human immunodeficiency virus, type 1 infection.

STUDY OBJECTIVE

To determine if Mycobacterium gordonae is an opportunistic respiratory tract pathogen in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus, type 1 (HIV-1).

DESIGN

Retrospective review of medical records of all patients with positive cultures for M gordonae from 1987 to 1989.

PATIENTS

Fifteen patients had positive sputum cultures for M gordonae: five patients had AIDS or had HIV-1 infections with less than or equal to 180 CD4 cells/cu mm, and ten patients had no clinical evidence of HIV-1 infection.

RESULTS

Three of the five HIV-1 infected patients had clinical, roentgenographic, and microbiologic evidence of pulmonary infection due to M gordonae that responded to antimycobacterial therapy. One of the two remaining HIV-1 infected patients had disseminated M tuberculosis and possible coinfection with M gordonae, and the other was lost to follow-up. None of the ten patients without evidence of HIV-1 infection was considered to have M gordonae respiratory tract infection.

CONCLUSIONS

Sputum isolates of M gordonae should be considered potential opportunistic respiratory tract pathogens in patients with advanced HIV-1 infection and with otherwise unexplained pulmonary infection.