Clinical Relevance of Nontuberculous Mycobacteria Isolated from Sputum in a Gold Mining Workforce in South Africa: An Observational, Clinical Study

Table 6

American Thoracic Society criteria for lung disease due to NTM (adapted from [19]).

Criteria for diagnosis of lung disease due to NTM
Clinical	(1) Pulmonary symptoms, nodular or cavitary opacities on chest radiograph, or an HRCT scan that shows multifocal bronchiectasis with multiple small nodules; And; (2) Appropriate exclusion of other diagnoses
Microbiological	(1) Positive culture results from at least two separate expectorated sputum samples; Or; (2) Positive culture results from at least one bronchial wash or lavage; Or; (3) Transbronchial o other lung biopsy with mycobacterial histopathological features (granulomatous inflammation or AFB) and positive culture for NTM or biopsy showing mycobacterial histopathological features and one or more sputum or bronchial washings that are culture positive for NTM