TABLE 1

American Thoracic Society/Infectious Diseases Society of America criteria for diagnosing NTM pulmonary disease [19]

Clinical criteriaRespiratory or constitutional symptoms and appropriate exclusion of other diagnosis and:
Radiological criteriaReticular, interstitial or nodular infiltrate or cavitation on chest radiography, or high-resolution computed tomography scan that shows multifocal bronchiectasis with multiple small nodules, and:
Microbiological criteriaPositive cultures from at least one bronchial wash or lavage, or positive sputum from at least two separate expectorated sputum samples; or transbronchial or other lung biopsy with microbiological histopathological features (granulomatous inflammation or acid-fast bacilli) and positive culture for NTM, or biopsy showing microbacterial histopathological features and one sputum sample or bronchial washing/lavage that is culture-positive for NTM.

NTM: nontuberculous mycobacteria.