The clinical and epidemiological landscape of Mycobacterium riyadhense: a systematic review of the literature

Background: is an emerging nontuberculous mycobacterium associated with infections in immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients. Methods: , we conducted a systematic review on PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar adhering to PRISMA guidelines. We included publications during 2009-2025, with no limitation on language or study design. Cases of uncertain infection or identification were excluded. Review protocol was pre-registere in PROSPERO with protocol number; CRD420250653025. Results: . Patient median age was 35.5 and 80% were male. Common presentations included pneumonia (n=52), lymphadenitis (n=13), osteomyelitis (n=8), or disseminated infection (n=8). Susceptibility to Rifampin and Ethambutol was observed in all tested isolates. Resistance to Isoniazid was detected in 5/8 isolates. Conclusion: . This underscores the urgent need for standardized diagnostic protocols and targeted treatment strategies to effectively manage infections. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier CRD420250653025.