[Chronological change of primary type pulmonary Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare complex infection].

OBJECTIVES: Primary pulmonary Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare complex (MAC) disease was evaluated from the viewpoint of chronological change. METHOD: From 1993 to March 2009, 130 patients with primary-type MAC disease were divided into three groups according to the period of time when they were diagnosed as below, and compared between groups by retrospective review. RESULTS: Average numbers of cases per year were 5.12 patients in the 1st period (from 1993 to 2002), 10.98 in the 2nd period (from 2002 to 2006), 15.87 in the 3rd period (from 2006 to 2009). The number of cases per year gradually increased with time, while the percentage of females gradually decreased with time (84.1%, 74.4%, 69.8% for each period, p < 0.05). Patient BMIs (body mass indexes) showed an upward trend while CRP (C-reactive protein) and ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate) showed downward trends though these changes were not significant. CONCLUSION: Though primary-type MAC disease typically affects mid-elderly and slender women, the authors demonstrated that it is increasing among male and non-slender females. Changes in the clinical features of primary-type MAC disease over time were also observed.