Diagnostic criteria for nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease (NTM-PD)
| Clinical criteria | Pulmonary or systemic symptoms |
| and | |
| Radiologic criteria | Nodular or cavitary opacities on chest X-ray or an HRCT scan that shows bronchiectasis with multiple small nodules |
| and | Appropriate exclusion of other diagnoses |
| Microbiologic criteria | Positive culture results from at least two separate expectorated sputum samples. If the results are nondiagnostic, consider repeat sputum AFB smears and cultures or Positive culture results from at least one bronchial wash or lavage or Transbronchial or other lung biopsy with mycobacterial histologic features (granulomatous inflammation or AFB) and one or more sputum or bronchial washings that are culture-positive for NTM |
AFB: acid-fast bacilli; HRCT: high-resolution computed tomography. Adapted from the official American Thoracic Society (ATS)/Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) statement and official ATS/European Respiratory Society/European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases/IDSA clinical practice guidelines [10, 11].