Atypical Tuberculosis
There are approximately 30 distinct species of atypical acid-fast bacilli, also known as nontuberculous mycobacteria, that are responsible for a variety of disease states in humans. The particular form of clinical presentation depends on several factors, including the age and immune status of the host and the mode of inoculation. Soil, dust, water, and contaminated food, from which atypical mycobacteria can be cultured, are the presumed sources of infection. In children, the most common presentation of atypical mycobacterial infection is cervical lymphadenitis; less commonly, skin and soft tissue infection occur secondary to direct inoculation. Disseminated infection in an immunocompetent host occurs very infrequently but has been reported in normal children less than 3 years of age.
