Lungs and beyond: Seizures as Presenting Symptom in a Patient with Mycobacterium chimaera infection

Authors

• Samar Mehyar, Internal Medicine Residency, Department of Internal Medicine, McLaren Bay Region Hospital, Bay City, MichiganFollow
• Tripti Adhikari, Internal Medicine Residency, Department of Internal Medicine, McLaren Bay Region Hospital, Bay City, Michigan,
• Shweta Kambali, Internal Medicine Residency, Department of Internal Medicine, McLaren Bay Region Hospital, Bay City, Michigan
• Harneet K. Ghumman, Internal Medicine Residency, Department of Internal Medicine, McLaren Flint Hospital, Flint, Michigan
• Avneet K. Ghumman, Internal Medicine Residency, Department of Internal Medicine, McLaren Flint Hospital, Flint, Michigan.
• Parul Sud, Internal Medicine Residency, Department of Internal Medicine, McLaren Bay Region Hospital, Bay City, Michigan
• Mehrshad Fathian Sabet, Internal Medicine Residency, Department of Internal Medicine, McLaren Flint Hospital, Flint, Michigan
• Elizabeth Mikhail, Pulmonary disease and Critical Care Medicine department, McLaren Flint Hospital, Flint City, Michigan
• Sohrab Singh, Internal Medicine, St. Luke's University- Anderson, Easton, PA.

Abstract

Mycobacterium chimaera is a slow-growing, non-tuberculous mycobacterium (NTM) that belongs to the Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC). It first emerged as a pathogen after being associated with infections in patients who underwent cardiothoracic surgery when patients were getting exposed to heater cooler units, especially those requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) or prosthetic valve placement. We report an atypical presentation of M. chimaera infection in a patient with COPD, but no prior history of cardiac surgery or immunosuppression.

Recommended Citation

Mehyar, Samar; Adhikari, Tripti; Kambali, Shweta; Ghumman, Harneet K.; Ghumman, Avneet K.; Sud, Parul; Sabet, Mehrshad Fathian; Mikhail, Elizabeth; and Singh, Sohrab (2026) "Lungs and beyond: Seizures as Presenting Symptom in a Patient with Mycobacterium chimaera infection," Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives: Vol. 16: Iss. 3, Article 7.
DOI: 10.55729/2000-9666.1597
Available at: https://scholarlycommons.gbmc.org/jchimp/vol16/iss3/7

DOI

10.55729/2000-9666.1597