Disseminated Mycobacterium avium intracellulare complex Infection in a Patient with Polymyositis and Review of Five Other Non-AIDS Cases

Abstract

Disseminated mycobacterium avium intracellulare complex (MAC) infection is quite rare in non-AIDS patients. We report here a man with polymyositis, complicated with disseminated MAC infection. Five other non-AIDS cases suffered from disseminated MAC infection in our hospital from 1988 to 2003 were also analyzed. Constitutive symptoms and signs including fever, body weight loss, cough, local soft tissue pain, hepatosplenomegaly and lymphadenopathy were frequently observed. The involvement in lung, bone, pleura, and lymph nodes are rather common. The time to correct diagnosis is usually delayed and in mis-diagnosed as ordinary TB is common. When a patient had prolonged differential diagnosis of fever, productive cough, lymphadenopathy, bone involvement or hepatosplenomegaly, differential diagnosis of disseminated MAC infection should be included.