Outcomes of a Peri- and Postoperative Management Protocol for Non-TB Mycobacteria in Lung Transplant Recipients.

To the Editor: Non-TB mycobacteria (NTM) are becoming increasingly recognized as clinically significant pathogens in lung transplant recipients (LTRs).[[1]] Owing to advanced pulmonary disease among lung transplantation (LTX) candidates, patients could have a history of remote or current NTM-pulmonary disease (PD), or it could be detected incidentally after being listed for LTX. Posttransplantation NTM-PD and Overall Outcome In follow up until December 2017, posttransplantation NTM-PD developed in 11.1% of LTRs (2/18 patients) with peritransplantation NTM-PD (11 and 12 months after NTM management protocol, respectively) vs 6.6% of LTRs (14/212 patients) without peritransplantation NTM-PD (median, 10 months after transplantation; P =.362). To sum up, patients with NTM-PD diagnosed at the time of LTX and treated according to the protocol were safely managed and did not experience significantly greater rates of post-transplant NTM-PD, CLAD and survival. [Extracted from the article]