Clinical and MSCT manifestations of nontuberculous mycobacteria lung diseases / 中国医学影像技术

ABSTRACT

Objective To explore the clinical and MSCT manifestations of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) lung diseases.Methods Totally 102 patients with proved NTM lung diseases (NTM group) and 102 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB group) were included in the study.MSCT image and clinical data of patients were retrospectively analyzed.The t/x2 test were used to analyze the differences of clinical and imaging findings between two groups.Results The main clinical symptoms of NTM group were cough,expectoration,hemoptysis and shortness of breath after activity,which had no significant differences between two groups (all P＞ 0.05).NTM lung diseases patients often associated with chronic lung diseases such as pulmonary tuberculosis,chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,pulmonary heart disease.The differences were significant between two groups (all P＜0.05).The main CT manifestations of NTM lung diseases included centrilobular nodules (89/102,87.25％),bronchiectasis (67/102,65.69％) and patchy consolidation (64/102,62.75％).Secondly,fiber cable disease,thin-wall cavities and pleural incrassation were common found.The detection rate of centrilobular nodules,bronchiectasis and thin-wall cavities in NTM group were significantly higher than those in TB group (x2 =3.995,22.675,12.823,respectively,all P＜0.05).Bronchiectasis were often found in the right middle lobe and/or left lingula lobe.Conclusion NTM lung diseases patients often associate with chronic lung disease.The CT manifestations of NTM lung diseases have certain characteristics.Especially when the bronchiectasis occurred in the right middle lobe and/or left lingular lobe and accompany by the centrilobular nodules,thin-wall cavity and antituberculous therapy being invalid,NTM lung diseases should be considered.