{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,13]],"date-time":"2026-07-13T02:09:39Z","timestamp":1783908579637,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":0,"publisher":"Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)","content-domain":{"domain":["lww.com","ovid.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":[],"abstract":"Abstract<\/jats:title>\n \n Background:<\/jats:title>\n Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are environmental organisms increasingly recognized as important pathogens in pulmonary disease. Over recent decades, the incidence and prevalence of NTM lung diseases have risen globally, driven by improved diagnostic capabilities, aging populations, and a growing number of immunocompromised individuals. These infections present a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge due to their heterogeneous clinical manifestations, overlap with other chronic lung diseases, and the complexity of microbiological identification.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Objective:<\/jats:title>\n To review the epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical features, diagnostic approach, and management of NTM lung diseases.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Methodology:<\/jats:title>\n \n A narrative review was conducted using literature from PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Relevant articles published in English were identified using keywords such as \u201cnontuberculous mycobacteria,\u201d \u201cNTM lung disease,\u201d \u201c\n Mycobacterium avium<\/jats:italic>\n complex,\u201d and \u201cpulmonary mycobacterial infections.\u201d Original research studies, clinical guidelines, systematic reviews, and narrative reviews focusing on pulmonary involvement were included. Articles lacking clinical relevance or focusing exclusively on extrapulmonary disease were excluded. The selected literature was synthesized qualitatively to highlight key clinical and diagnostic aspects.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Findings:<\/jats:title>\n \n NTM lung diseases are primarily caused by species such as\n M. avium<\/jats:italic>\n complex,\n Mycobacterium kansasii<\/jats:italic>\n , and rapidly growing mycobacteria. These infections commonly affect individuals with underlying structural lung disease, including bronchiectasis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, as well as immunocompromised patients. Clinical presentation is often insidious, with symptoms such as chronic cough, sputum production, fatigue, and weight loss. Diagnosis requires a combination of clinical, radiological, and microbiological criteria to distinguish true disease from colonization. Radiological patterns include nodular bronchiectatic disease and fibrocavitary disease. Management is complex, involving prolonged multidrug antibiotic regimens tailored to the specific organism, with challenges related to drug toxicity, resistance, and treatment adherence.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Conclusion:<\/jats:title>\n NTM lung diseases represent an emerging challenge in respiratory medicine due to their increasing prevalence and complex management. Early recognition, accurate diagnosis, and individualized treatment strategies are essential for improving patient outcomes. Continued research and standardized guidelines are needed to optimize care and address existing gaps in management.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.4103\/aam.aam_381_26","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,13]],"date-time":"2026-07-13T02:00:10Z","timestamp":1783908010000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1097\/lww.0000000000001000","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Lung Diseases"],"prefix":"10.4103","author":[{"given":"L.","family":"Shreya","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Respiratory Medicine, Shri Sathya Sai Medical College and Research Institute, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University), Puducherry, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"A.","family":"Arthi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Respiratory Medicine, Shri Sathya Sai Medical College and Research Institute, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University), Puducherry, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"V.","family":"Jereen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Respiratory Medicine, Shri Sathya Sai Medical College and Research Institute, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University), Puducherry, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"D. L. Sam","family":"Bennihin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Respiratory Medicine, Shri Sathya Sai Medical College and Research Institute, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University), Puducherry, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Moniish","family":"Venkatesan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Respiratory Medicine, Shri Sathya Sai Medical College and Research Institute, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University), Puducherry, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"276","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,10]]},"container-title":["Annals of African Medicine"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.lww.com\/10.4103\/aam.aam_381_26","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,13]],"date-time":"2026-07-13T02:00:10Z","timestamp":1783908010000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.lww.com\/10.4103\/aam.aam_381_26"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,10]]},"references-count":0,"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4103\/aam.aam_381_26","relation":{},"ISSN":["1596-3519","0975-5764"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1596-3519","type":"print"},{"value":"0975-5764","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,10]]},"assertion":[{"value":"2026-04-05","name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2026-05-25","name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}}]}}