[Mycobacterium avium complex infections: the point on the treatments].

Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) infections are the most frequent opportunistic infections in AIDS. Since progress in antiretroviral drugs enables AIDS patients to survive longer, these infections involve an increasing number of sick people. Few controlled assays have evaluated the efficiency of several antibiotics. When used in monotherapy, clarithromycin (one gram twice a day) appeared as the most efficient drug while the effectiveness of azithromycin, clofazimine, rifampin and liposomal encapsulated gentamicin have not been truly proved. Due to its bacteriologic and clinical effects, the most interesting polytherapeutic scheme is the association of clarithromycin (1 g twice a day), ethambutol (15 mg per kg and per day) and rifabutin (600 mg per day).