[Two cases of Mycobacterium avium complex pleuritis].

We encountered 2 cases of Mycobacterium avium complex pleuritis. One case was a 68-year-old woman suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, treated with steroids. She presented to our hospital with dyspnea, which improved after a chest tube insertion and the administration of rifampicin, ethambutol, clarithromycin, and streptomycin. In the other case, a 71-year-old man suffering from nephritic syndrome and who had been treated with steroids presented to our hospital with low-grade fever and dyspnea. He improved after therapeutic thoracentesis and clarithromycin administration. Only 6 cases of Mycobacterium avium complex pleuritis have been reported; because it is rare, the characteristics and prognosis of the disease remain unknown. We report 2 cases and review 6 previous reports of Mycobacterium avium complex pleuritis.