Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) refers to
infections caused by one of two nontuberculous mycobacterial species, either M. avium or M. intracellulare and the
risk of MAC in
patients with
human immunodeficiency virus (
HIV)
infection increases as the CD4+
T cell number declines below 50
cells/mm3. In these
patients,
fever, night
sweats,
abdominal pain,
weight loss and multiple large retroperitoneal and mesenteric
lymph nodes should suggest the
diagnosis of MAC
infection as well as other known causes of
lymphadenitis, including
lymphoma,
Kaposi's sarcoma, dis-seminated
histoplasmosis,
cryptococcosis and intraabdominal M. tuberculosis. We
report an
autopsy case of 55 years-old man with
HIV-
infection who was diagnosed
mesenteric lymphadenitis due to MAC
infection as a cause of
fever of unknown origin during
treatment of the primary
central nervous system malignant
B-cell lymphoma.