Boudon P, Le Pennec M P, Malbec D, Mathieu M, Slama J L, Manet P, Pines E, Kretz S, Giacomini T
Service de médecine interne, Hôpital Robert-Ballanger, Aulnay-sous-Bois, France.
Rev Med Interne. 1995;16(10):747-51. doi: 10.1016/0248-8663(96)80783-1.
We report a retrospective study of 12 caucasian men infected with HIV who had developed Mycobacterium kansasii infection (Mk). All patients had a low blood lymphocyte CD4 count (1-130, mean 15/mm3) and ten met the diagnostic criteria for AIDS. The 12 patients had pulmonary symptoms (dyspnea, cough) and fever. On chest X-ray, nodular, interstitial or diffuse parenchymal infiltrates, mediastinal and hilar adenopathies were observed. Two patients had pleural effusion, but none had cavitary lung disease. Mk was isolated by culture of sputum (n = 7), blood (n = 3), bronchial biopsy (n = 2) or bone marrow (n = 1). No patient had clinical extra-pulmonary disease. Survival after diagnosis was in average 7 months. Potential for therapeutic response is reviewed and documented.
