Clinical Significance of the Differentiation Between Mycobacterium avium and Mycobacterium intracellulare in M avium Complex Lung Disease

Patients with M intracellulare lung disease exhibited a more severe presentation and had a worse prognosis than patients with M avium lung disease in terms of disease progression and treatment response. Therefore, species differentiation between M avium and M intracellulare may have prognostic and therapeutic implications.