Mycobacteria other than tuberculosis with an emphasis on Mycobacterium xenopi in clinical specimens from AIDS patients at the University Hospital of Vienna from 1989 to 1996

This study was carried out to provide an overview of the frequency of vario us mycobacterial species isolated from AIDS patients at the University Hosp ital of Vienna from 1989 to 1996. Mycobacterium xenopi was found to be the second most common nontuberculous mycobacterial species (92 specimens from 30 patients) and was cultured predominantly from respiratory tract specimen s. In 55% of patients, chest X-rays taken at the time of isolation demonstr ated pathologic changes which could not be attributed to another cause. The refore, according to our results, Mycobacterium xenopi should be viewed as an infectious agent rather than a contaminant in AIDS patients.