Summary

Non-tubercular mycobacteriae (NTM) are ubiquitous organisms found throughout the environment including soil and water. Incidence of NTM infection or isolation is increasing both in immunocompromised as well as immunocompetent patients and may present with a spectrum of disease similar to tuberculosis. The authors report cases of two patients with a background of cancer who presented with NTM infection mimicking lung cancer. The case report is followed by review of reported cases of NTM infections which presented similarly mimicking cancer. Based on their experience and the review of literature the authors recommend that all efforts should be made to obtain tissue for histology and acid fast bacilli examination in all cases which present with lung masses, nodules, bronchiectasis, air-space shadowing or cavity formation especially over a background of structural lung disease. Such cases should be kept under close clinical and radiological follow-up, as cancer and NTM infections can coexist.