Tuberculosis due to Mycobacterium kansasii.

Eighteen cases of tuberculosis due to Mycobacterium kansasii have been described. Eleven were from Western Australia and seven from Queensland. The symptoms, X-rays and histology of the disease were indistinguishable from those due to Mycobacterium tuberculosis, but the organisms were resistant to streptomycin, para-amino-salicylic (PAS) and isoniazid, but sensitive to ethionamide and cycloserine, and in most cases sensitive to rifampicin and ethambutol. All 18 cases were treated with some form of chemotherapy; three also had surgery.