Background: Treatment of Mycobacterium abscessus pulmonary disease (MAB-PD), which is caused by subspecies M. abscessus subspecies abscessus (M. abscessus), M. abscessus subspecies massiliense (M. massiliense), or M. abscessus subspecies bolletii, is challenging.
Methods: We conducted an individual patient data meta-analysis based on published studies reporting treatment outcomes for MAB-PD to clarify the treatment outcomes for MAB-PD and the impact of each drug on treatment outcomes.
Results: A total of 303 patients with MAB-PD from eight studies were included. The treatment success rate across all patients with MAB-PD was 45.6%. The specific treatment success rates were 33.0% for M. abscessus and 56.7% for M. massiliense pulmonary disease. For MAB-PD, the use of imipenem was associated with treatment success (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.65; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.36-5.10). For patients with M. abscessus, the use of azithromycin (aOR, 3.29; 95% CI, 1.26-8.62), amikacin (aOR, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.05-1.99), or imipenem (aOR, 7.96; 95% CI, 1.52-41.6) increased the likelihood of treatment success. For patients with M. massiliense, the choice among these drugs did not affect the treatment outcomes.
Conclusion: Treatment outcomes for MAB-PD are unsatisfactory. The use of azithromycin, amikacin, or imipenem improves treatment outcomes for patients with M. abscessus pulmonary disease.