Nontuberculous Mycobacterium pulmonary infection with pleural effusion caused by Mycobacterium kansasii

A 28 year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of fever, cough and chest pain. A chest X-ray film taken on admission showed infiltrate in the left upper lung field with ipsilateral pleural effusion. Microscopical examinations of stained specimens of sputa and pleural effusions disclosed no acid-fast bacilli. The level of adenosine deaminase (ADA) in pleural effusion was 46.4 IU/l. A tuberculin skin test was moderately positive. The most probable diagnosis was pulmonary tuberculosis with pleural effusion. Isoniazid (INH) and rifampicin (RFP) were administered on the 5th hospital day and continued to lower the fever and reduce the pleural effusion. The cultured specimens of sputa and pleural effusions yielded Mycobacterium kansasii. After six months of treatment, chest X-ray film showed improvement and the administration of INH, RFP was discontinued without recurrence.