Chapter 52 - Tuberculosis

Abstract

Mycobacteria cause a broad repertoire of human disease. In the nervous system, the most important of the mycobacteria are Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium leprae . Nontuberculous mycobacteria, historically known as atypical mycobacteria or mycobacteria other than tuberculosis (MOTT), have also been implicated in nervous system disease, but only rarely. Mycobacteria share the characteristic of producing surface lipids that render them acid-fast, meaning that they cannot be decolorized by acid alcohol after staining. Although some other organisms (such as Nocardia ) sometimes are acid-fast, most organisms with this staining characteristic are mycobacteria. Mycobacteria generally are slow-growing, and in the laboratory they need supplemented media and a 5% to 10% CO 2 atmosphere.