[Results of treating patients with mycobacterial respiratory infections negative for HIV virus (retrospective study)].

In this study the results of treatment of 37 patients with non-tuberculous mycobacterial disease were analyzed. The responsible strains were indentified as M. kansasi in 16 patients, M. avium-intracellulare in 10 patients, M. avium intracellulare and M. xenopi in 3 patients, M. xenopi and M. chalone in 7 patients. Patients with M. kansasi infection had been treated for 12 months. Sputum culture became negative in all patients after 2 months of treatment mainly with ryfamipcin (R) and etambutol (E). Thirteen patients infected with M. avium-intracellulare or M. avium-intracellulare and M. xenopi had been treated for 24 months according to the drug sensitivity tests. Sputum conversion was achieved only in 4 out of 11 patients. In 3 patients sputum examination was positive inspite for the regression of chest X-ray lesions. In 2 cases despite the resistance in vitro to all drugs, during treatment with H, R, E and aminoglicoside-sputum culture become negative. Four patients died due to the progression of non-tuberculous mycobacterial infection. In a group of 7 patients infected with M. xenopi sputum--negative results were observed after 2 months of treatment. One patient infected with M. chaelone had been treated for 6 months with clarithromycine, and sputum culture become negative after 2 months of the treatment.