Management of nontuberculous mycobacterial lymphadenitis in a tertiary care children's hospital: A 20year experience

Radiomics and machine learning for the diagnosis of pediatric cervical non-tuberculous mycobacterial lymphadenitis

Non-tuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) infection is an emerging infectious entity that often presents as lymphadenitis in the pediatric age group. Current practice involves invasive testing and excisional biopsy to diagnose NTM lymphadenitis. In this study, we performed a retrospective analysis of 249 lymph nodes selected from 143 CT scans of pediatric patients presenting with lymphadenopathy at the Montreal Children’s Hospital between 2005 and 2018. A Random Forest classifier was trained on the ten most discriminative features from a set of 1231 radiomic features. The model classifying nodes as pyogenic, NTM, reactive, or proliferative lymphadenopathy achieved an accuracy of 72%, a precision of 68%, and a recall of 70%. Between NTM and all other causes of lymphadenopathy, the model achieved an area under the curve (AUC) of 89%. Between NTM and pyogenic lymphadenitis, the model achieved an AUC of 90%. Between NTM and the reactive and proliferative lymphadenopathy groups, the model achieved an AUC of 93%. These results indicate that radiomics can achieve a high accuracy for classification of NTM lymphadenitis. Such a non-invasive highly accurate diagnostic approach has the potential to reduce the need for invasive procedures in the pediatric population.

Long-Term Outcome of Surgical Treatments for Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Cervicofacial Lymphadenitis in Children

PURPOSE

Information on long-term treatment outcome for nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) cervicofacial lymphadenitis in children is scarce. The purpose of this study is to evaluate long-term outcome for surgical treatment, which is the mainstay treatment modality.

METHODS

This case series describes recurrence rates of surgically treated NTM cervicofacial lymphadenitis patients with a follow-up of at least 10 years. The current study data were partially collected from a randomized, prospective, multicenter, multidisciplinary trial (CHIMED study), which was conducted between 2000 and 2006 to determine the optimal treatment for NTM cervicofacial lymphadenitis in children. After the CHIMED trial inclusion ended, our institute continued to serve as a referral center. This enabled us to enlarge the surgical CHIMED cohort by adding patients who were treated during 2007 to 2010 in our center and collect the rest of the current study data.

RESULTS

About 427 children with chronic cervicofacial lymphadenopathy were analyzed. Among these, 290 had microbiologically confirmed cervicofacial mycobacterial infections (n = 3 Mycobacterium tuberculosis, n = 1 Mycobacterium bovis, n = 286 NTM). Of these 286 children with NTM cervicofacial lymphadenitis, 189 were treated surgically (median age: 41 months, range: 9-144, 46.0% males). The affected lymph nodes were excised in 151 children (79.9%), and curettage was performed in 38 children (20.1%). One patient (0.07%) experienced a reactivation/recurrence 2 years after surgical excision and required another surgical excision. Three children (7.9%) experienced infection reactivation/recurrences after curettage, confirmed by redness or a draining fistula, within the first year after healing. Two of these 3 patients were treated with additional surgical excisions.

CONCLUSION

The long-term outcome of surgical excision for NTM cervicofacial lymphadenitis is favorable with a low recurrence rate. Curettage or a conservative wait-and-see approach can be considered an alternative in advanced and surgically challenging cases. However, healing will take longer, and late recurrences are possible.

Diagnosis of nontuberculous mycobacterial lymphadenitis: the role of fine-needle aspiration

Nontuberculous mycobacterial lymphadenitis often presents a diagnostic challenge. This study aimed to evaluate the role of fine-needle aspiration cytology in the diagnosis of nontuberculous mycobacterial lymphadenitis in children. We conducted a retrospective review of fine-needle aspiration cytology performed in patients < 17 year-old with subacute lymphadenitis from 2003 to 2016 in a tertiary hospital in Spain. Confirmed nontuberculous mycobacterial lymphadenitis (isolation of nontuberculous mycobacterial in culture from fine-needle aspiration cytology or biopsy samples) and probable nontuberculous mycobacterial lymphadenitis ("granulomatous inflammation" in cytopathologic examinations from fine-needle aspiration cytology or biopsy and clinical-epidemiological history compatible with nontuberculous mycobacterial) were selected. Forty-one patients with nontuberculous mycobacterial lymphadenitis were included: 14 confirmed and 27 probable. Fine-needle aspiration cytology was done in all of them. For 34 patients with excised lymphadenopathy, cytopathology from fine-needle aspiration cytology was concordant with biopsy in 100% cases. Culture results were available from 78.0% (32/41) of patients with fine-needle aspiration cytology and from 85.3% (29/34) with excisional biopsy. Among 22 patients with microbiological results from fine-needle aspiration cytology and biopsy, fine-needle aspiration cytology allowed advanced results in concordance with biopsy or with positive isolation not found in biopsy in 90.1% (20/22) of patients. Sensitivity of nontuberculous mycobacterial cultures obtained by fine-needle aspiration cytology compared to biopsy was 45.5% vs. 36.4% (p = 0.07). Two patients with previous skin alterations presented fistulas after fine-needle aspiration cytology (4.9%); no other complications were described.Conclusion: Fine-needle aspiration cytology provides quick cytopathologic information and is an accurate and safe technique for the diagnosis of nontuberculous mycobacterial lymphadenitis, especially in cases with challenging work-up. What is Known: • Nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) infection is an important cause of subacute lymphadenitis in children. • Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is an available technique for the diagnosis of lymphadenitis of unknown etiology. What is New: • FNAC is an accurate and safe technique for the diagnosis of NTM lymphadenitis in children. • FNAC can provide reliable samples for cytopathological studies and even a better sensitivity for microbiological culture than excisional biopsy in the study of suspected NTM lymphadenitis.

Long-term outcome of nonsurgical treatment of nontuberculous mycobacterial cervicofacial lymphadenitis in children

OBJECTIVE

Chronic cervicofacial lymphadenitis in children is often caused by nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM). Children with NTM infection who were not surgically treated were evaluated for long-term outcome with a follow-up of at least 10 years.

RESULTS

Among the 117 nonsurgically treated children, the median age was 46 months (range, 9-155 months), 56 were male (47.9%), and 61 were female (52.1%). Of the overall group, 75 received antibiotic therapy consisting of clarithromycin and rifabutin (64.1%), and for 54, observation (a wait-and-see approach) was chosen (46.2%). In 100 patients, treatment was considered successful (85%), with a median resolution of 24 (range, 11-134) weeks in the antibiotic group compared to 44.5 (range, 18-130) weeks in the wait-and-see group (P < .05). After 6 months, 58 patients in the antibiotic group were successfully treated (77%), whereas 42 patients of the wait-and-see group demonstrated complete resolution after a median observation time of 44.5 weeks (100%). In 10 patients who experienced complete resolution of the lymphadenitis, infection recurrence developed years later (10%).

CONCLUSION

Nonsurgical treatment of NTM infection can be considered an alternative in advanced and surgically challenging cases. However, healing will take months to years, and late recurrences are possible.

Nontuberculous lymphadenitis in children: What management strategy?

OBJECTIVES

Nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) lymphadenitis is a rare disease of children under 5 years. Its treatment is not standardized, even a "wait-and-see" approach is shown to be effective in the literature. Here, we discuss the diagnostic and therapeutic strategies employed in our departments.

METHODS

Records of pediatric patients treated for NTM cervical lymphadenitis from 2010 to 2015 in our tertiary center were retrospectively reviewed. Patients underwent cervical echotomography and/or CT scan. Every patient but one had microbiological explorations (NTM polymerase chain reaction [PCR] and culture) on fine needle aspiration of pus and/or adenitis biopsy. Differential diagnoses (tuberculosis, cat scratch disease) were excluded with serologies, chest X-Ray, and PCR on adenitis samples. Patients were classified as "proven diagnosis" (NTM detected), "highly probable" (suggestive clinical and anatomopathological aspect) or "possible" infection (suggestive adenitis alone). Treatments, follow-up and adverse events were reviewed.

RESULTS

Thirty-one patients were treated for NTM, median age 2.40 years (Interquartile Range IQR = [1.85-3.16]). Twenty-nine patients (96.77%) had an isolated cervico-facial localization. Median follow-up was 8.00 months (IQR = [4.20-13.43]). We found 17 "proven diagnosis" (58.62%), 5 "highly probable" (17.24%) and 7 "possible" infections (24.14%). "Proven" infections were due to: Mycobacterium avium (n = 12, 66.67%) and M. intracellulare (n = 5, 27.78%). All 29 patients received antibiotics, which were effective for 10 (34.48%, group 1); 10 underwent surgical excision for a poor outcome with antibiotics (34.48%, group 2); spontaneous or surgical drainage occurred in 9 on antibiotics (31.03%, group 3). The median times to resolution for group 1, 2 and 3 were respectively 6.33 months, 6.22 months and 9.53 months. Antibiotics treatment was mostly clarithromycin (n = 27, 93.10%) and/or rifampicin (n = 19, 65.52%); 18 patients (62.07%) received both. Median antibiotics duration was 6.23 months (IQR = [5.17-7.46]), with good compliance (79.31%). The observed adverse effects were 3 (13.04%) isolated transient transaminase elevations, 1 case (4.35%) of minor creatinine elevation, and 1 case (4.35%) of transient diarrhea. Surgical drainage caused 1 transient marginal mandibular nerve palsy, resolutive after 1 month.

CONCLUSION

Antibiotics in NTM adenitis lead to resolution in 7 months, with good tolerance and compliance. The efficacy of "wait-and-see" attitude in the literature make excision surgery a second line treatment.

Surgical treatment for chronic cervical lymphadenitis in children. Experience from a tertiary care paediatric centre on non-tuberculous mycobacterial infections

OBJECTIVES

Non-tuberculous mycobacteria are the most frequent cause of chronic lymphadenitis in children. We reviewed treatment and outcomes of paediatric patients with chronic cervical lymphadenitis, to better understand their differential diagnosis, surgical indication, complication and recover.

METHODS

A retrospective study was carried out on children who underwent surgery from 2013 to 2016 at Meyer Children's University Hospital, Florence, Italy. Time to cure, type of surgery, and complications rate were determined and etiologic agents were identified and correlated to their clinical presentation.

RESULTS

275 children were evaluated. Nearly 98% of the patients were cured regardless of which therapeutic option was used and surgery was necessary in 38.2% of children. Complete excisional biopsy ensured recover in 97.7% of patients compared with the non-excisional surgical group 88.2% (p = 0.06). Re-interventions were needed in the 2.3% of complete excision group and in two cases of the incision and drainage group; all of them developed fistula and were caused by Mycobacterium avium complex. Excision followed by adjunctive antibiotic therapy was favoured in the majority of the patients (80.1%, n = 71).

CONCLUSION

In cases of non-tuberculous mycobacteria lymphadenitis, surgery is the treatment of choice and it is closely related to a favourable prognosis.

First case of Mycobacterium marseillense lymphadenitis in a child

Background

Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are pathogens that commonly affect the paediatric population and its most frequent manifestation is a cervicofacial lymphadenopathy. With the improvement of technologies, new species have been recently identified.

Case presentation

We report the first case of NMT lymphadenitis in a child caused by Mycobacterium marseillense, a newly described species belonging to Mycobacterium avium complex.

Conclusions

Improving the identification of these newly discovered mycobacteria, further information will be available about their clinical involvement and their best treatment.

Mycobacterium abscessus Complex Infections in Children: A Review

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Infections in children with Mycobacterium abscessus complex represent a particular challenge for clinicians. Increasing incidence of these infections worldwide has necessitated focused attention to improve both diagnostic as well as treatment modalities. Published medical literature was reviewed, with emphasis on material published in the past 5 years.

RECENT FINDINGS

Increasing availability of new diagnostic tools, such as matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry and custom PCRs, has provided unique insights into the subspecies within the complex and improved diagnostic certainty. Microbiological review of all recent isolates at the University of Minnesota Medical Center was also conducted, with description of the antimicrobial sensitivity patterns encountered in our center, and compared with those published from other centers in the recent literature. A discussion of conventional antimicrobial treatment regimens, alongside detailed description of the relevant antimicrobials, is derived from recent publications. Antimicrobial therapy, combined with surgical intervention in some cases, remains the mainstay of pediatric care. Ongoing questions remain regarding the transmission mechanics, immunologic vulnerabilities exploited by these organisms in the host, and the optimal antimicrobial regimens necessary to enable a reliable cure. Updated treatment guidelines based on focused clinical studies in children and accounting especially for the immunocompromised children at greatest risk are very much needed.