A study of surgical treatment for patients with Mycobacterium abscessus pulmonary disease and a comparative examination of Mycobacterium avium complex disease

[Objective]: This is a retrospective study on six surgical cases of Mycobacterium abscessus pulmonary disease, including a comparison with M.avium complex (MAC) disease. [Subjects and Methods]: We performed surgery for six cases of M.abscessus pulmonary disease between July 2012 and June 2014. In all the cases, video-assisted thoracic surgery alone was performed. Age, sex, bacillus identification method, disease type, preoperative anti-glycopeptidolipid core immunoglobulin A antibody value, preoperative chemotherapy, preoperative chemotherapy period, adaptation of the operation, surgical method, result of the bacillus culture of an organization that was extracted at operation, postoperative hospitalization period, surgical complications, and postoperative relapse were examined for the six cases of M.abscessus pulmonary disease. In addition, the cases were compared with 36 cases of MAC disease for which operation was performed during the same period. [Result]: None of the patients had major surgical complications or in-hospital death. Although three patients survived for more than 1 postoperative year and completed chemotherapy, relapses are not accepted in all cases at present. In the comparison with MAC disease, the mean preoperative chemotherapy period for M.abscessus pulmonary disease was 5.5 months, which was 18.9 months shorter than that for MAC disease, with a statistically significant difference. [Conclusion and Consideration]: Surgery for M.abscessus pulmonary disease may be considered a safe and effective therapeutic procedure. Moreover, some physicians believe that surgical treatment is required at an earlier stage of M. abscessus pulmonary disease compared with MAC disease.