Fatal Pulmonary Mycobacterium abscessus Infection in an Immunosuppressed Patient

The main predisposing factors for pulmonary infection caused by environmental mycobacteria are preexisting pulmonary disease, anatomical abnormalities (pectus excavatum), cystic fibrosis, heart disease, gastrectomy, and various underlying conditions of immunosuppression (1,2). The environmental mycobacterial species that cause most of these infections are Mycobacterium abscessus, Mycobacterium fortuitum, and, to a lesser extent, Mycobacterium chel o nae. We present a case of M. abscessus pulmonary infection in a patient with a history of glomerulonephritis, hepatitis B infection, cystic fibrosis, type II diabetes, and obesity as underlying compromising conditions.