A retrospective study of patients with MAC isolates in respiratory samples from five public hospitals in the autonomous community over a six-year period, following the ATS/IDSA criteria. The MAC strains were identified by GenoType Mycobacterium reverse hybridisation probes or PCR-RFLP analysis of the hsp65 gene.
Of 183 cases of MAC identified, only five women (2.7%) aged 68.8±10.7years met LWS criteria. In three cases, MAC was isolated jointly and intermittently with other pathogens. Only one patient was treated according to ATS/IDSA criteria.
LWS remains underestimated, with affected patients representing a significant burden on healthcare resources over long periods of time. As a result, greater microbiological and therapeutic knowledge of the syndrome is needed.