[Surgical treatment of mycobacterium avium complex infection in a patient with chronic empyema].

Atypical mycobacterial infection mostly develops in the lung and its occurrence outside of the lung is very rare. We report a case of mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) infection found with chronic empyema piercing out of the thoracic wall, to which surgical treatment was very successful. A 72-year old male had been treated for an abscess of right thoracic wall. MAC was isolated from thoracic effusion. Thoracic window and pan-pleuro-pneumonectomy was performed. No recurrence of MAC infection was found up to 1 year and 4 months when he died of accident.