[Pulmonary infection due to Mycobacterium szulgai associated with multiple bullous disease of the lung].

A 46-years-old male was admitted to our hospital because of productive cough and infiltrates on the chest roentogenogram. The patient had a history of left upper bullectomy ten years prior to the admission. The CT scan of the chest on admission showed infiltrats with cavitation in the left apex and multiple bullae in almost whole lung. Microscopical examination of smears of sputum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid revealed acid-fast bacilli. They were identified as Mycobacterium szulgai by DNA-DNA hybridization method. The patient was treated with isoniazid, streptomycin and rifampicin. After treatment for about a month, the culture of sputum converted to negative for M. szulgai. After about three months hospitalization, the infiltrates decreased and the cavity wall became thin, and no recurrence sign has been observed after the discharge. There are a few case reports of pulmonary infection due to M. szulgai associated with bullous disease of the lung in Japan.