Clinical presentation and treatment outcomes of extrapulmonary nontuberculous mycobacterial infections with rapid and slow growth rates in Cali, Colombia

Introduction: The increasing prevalence of extrapulmonary nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) infections poses significant challenges in clinical management due to their inherent drug resistance and the need for prolonged antibiotic regimens. Although these infections are infrequent in daily clinical practice, detailed information on associated clinical outcomes is lacking in the local literature. Materials and Methods This descriptive observational study examined 17 patients with extrapulmonary NTM infection from the General Mycobacteria Registry of Fundación Valle del Lili University Hospital and reviewed a total of 391 patients between 2007 and 2021. Results A predominance of women with a history of cosmetic surgery was observed, with the skin being the most common site of involvement, especially for M. fortuitum and M. abscessus . The most commonly used treatment consisted of a combination of clarithromycin and moxifloxacin administered for approximately 4–6 months, for a cure rate of 70.5%. Conclusion The treatment regimens implemented align with the literature recommendations, and it is noteworthy that the cure rate exceeds 70%, which contrasts with what has been reported in existing research. The lack of temporal references for diagnosis and treatment is highlighted, underscoring the need for future research to address this critical aspect and improve clinical outcomes.