Mycobacterium lentiflavum

The term "nontuberculous mycobacterioses," or "NTMs," refers to a heterogeneous group of more than 190 environmental mycobacteria characterized by a wide diversity in terms of their occurrence and adaptations to environmental conditions (Mello RB et al. 2020). The reference to the obligate pathogenic mycobacterial species of tuberculosis and leprosy is reflected in the naming of the "nontuberculous mycobacterioses."

Known as non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTMs) for almost as long as M. tuberculosis itself, however, their clinical significance was not recorded until the 1950s. NTMs are facultatively humpathogenic and can become clinically relevant as opportunistic pathogens, under certain conditions, some nosocomial, even in immunocompetent individuals.

Mycobacterium lentiflavum belongs to the group of slow-growing nontuberculous mycobacteria. Along with Mycobacterium avium, this pathogen is the main causative agent of lymphadenitis in pediatric populations (Miqueleiz-Zapatero A et al. 2018).

In adult NTM isolates, this pathogen appears to play only a minor role in immunocompetent individuals (Blanc P et al. 2016).

Nosocomial infections have been reported (after lipolysis injections - Mello RB et al. 2020) .

In immunocompromised patients, the pathogen also plays a role in pulmonary infections (Safdar A et al. (2005).

Mycobacterium lentiflavum is sensitive to clarithromycin and cycloserine. In contrast, there are high rates of resistance to rifampin (>90%) and lower rates to quinolones (30%) (Jiménez-Montero B et al. 2014).

1. Blanc P et al (2016) Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Infections in a French Hospital: A 12-Year Retrospective Study. PLoS One 11:e0168290.
2. Jiménez-Montero B et al (2014) Comparison of Mycobacterium lentiflavum and Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare complex lymphadenitis. Pediatr Infect Dis J 33:28-34.

3. Mello RB et al (2020) Cutaneous infection by Mycobacterium lentiflavum after subcutaneous injection of lipolytic formula. An Bras Dermatol 95: 511-513.

4. Miqueleiz-Zapatero A et al. (2018) Mycobacterium lentiflavum as the main cause of lymphadenitis in pediatric population. Enferm Infecc Microbiol Clin (Engl Ed) 36:640-643.
5. Safdar A et al. (2005) Mycobacterium lentiflavum, a recently identified slow-growing mycobacterial species: clinical significance in immunosuppressed cancer patients and summary of reported cases of infection. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 24:554-558.
6. Thomas G et al (2014) Disseminated Mycobacterium lentiflavum responsible for hemophagocytic lymphohistocytosis in a man with a history of heart transplantation. J Clin Microbiol 52:3121-3123.