Pancreatic abscess due to mycobacterial infection associated with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

Two patients with a history of intravenous drug abuse developed a pancreatic abscess due to mycobacterial infection as their initial evident opportunistic infection in association with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). This presentation of mycobacterial infection has been previously reported in nine patients. The two patients reported here are the second and third reported cases in association with AIDS. As this entity should be considered a cause of a pancreatic lesion in immunosuppressed patients, fluid drained from a pancreatic abscess should have histologic stains and cultures for mycobacteria.