Vol.67 No.2 March 2019
Treatment strategy for pulmonary nontuberculous mycobacterial disease
Division of Clinical Research, Fukujuji Hospital, 3-1-24 Matsuyama, Kiyose-city, Tokyo, Japan
Abstract
Guideline-recommended treatment for NTM pulmonary disease has not changed over 20 years, and it has many problems associated with side effects, treatment duration, and success rates. Acquired macrolide resistant cases, primarily caused by macrolide monotherapy and cessation of ethambutol due to side effects, need intensive treatment but have poor success rates. Thus, it is important to discuss each problem in the clinical setting to improve the treatment success rates until newer treatment methods are introduced. In this review, we describe the history and current treatment strategy for NTM pulmonary diseases, along with a discussion of several issues that need to be addressed. Recently developed strategies are also described. It is essential to develop newer antimicrobial agents and implement countermeasures, including educational efforts, to resolve this problem.
Key word
atypical mycobacteriosis, treatment
Received
October 3, 2018
Accepted
November 9, 2018
Jpn. J. Chemother. 67 (2): 182-186, 2019
