Diagnostic criteria for pulmonary disease caused by Mycobacterium kansasii and Mycobacterium intracellulare.

A study of 271 patients infected with Mycobacterium kansasii and 226 patients with Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare complex has led to the proposal of new diagnostic criteria. These criteria, based on the presence or absence of cavitation and on the duration of sputum positivity after initiation of therapy, are proposed to more accurately distinguish colonizations from active invasion of tissue than the current diagnostic criteria.