Immune reconstitution syndrome from nontuberculous mycobacterial infection after initiation of antiretroviral therapy in children with HIV infection.

The immune reconstitution syndrome caused by nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) infection is reported in 9 of 153 HIV-infected children 2 to 26 weeks after initiation of antiretroviral therapy. The clinical syndrome included fever and dyspnea (2 children), fever and abdominal pain (3), subcutaneous nodules or suppurative lymphadenitis (4). The causative species were Mycobacterium avium (4), Mycobacterium scrofulaceum (3), Mycobacterium kansasii (1) and Mycobacterium simiae (1).