RESUMO
Objective: Paraffin slide culture method (PSC) was used to isolate Non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) from stool and sputum samples of HIV seropositive and negative patients. Material & Methods: Eighty stool and forty two sputum samples from both symptomatic or asymptomatic HIV sero-positive patients; and 40 stool and 128 sputum samples from symptomatic but HIV seronegative patients were cultured by PSC to assess its utility in isolating NTM from the clinical specimens. The samples were simultaneously processed by culture on Lowenstein Jensen (LJ) medium for comparison with regard to isolation rate, isolation time and contamination rate. Results: The PSC proved to be as good as LJ in isolating NTM from clinical specimens and, in addition, had the advantage of in situ staining for acid fast bacilli and lower contamination rate. The PSC was also used for typing NTM by biochemical tests.