Review Article
Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Infections
Jason A. Jarzembowski, MD, PhD; Michael B. Young, MD
● Context.—Nontuberculous mycobacteria include numer- duction. Their slow growth hinders cultures, which require
ous acid-fast bacilli species, many of which have only re- special medium and prolonged incubation. Although such
cently been recognized as pathogenic. The diagnosis of my- methods are still used, newer nucleic acid–based technol-
cobacterial disease is based on a combination of clinical ogies (polymerase chain reaction and hybridizati