Mycobacterium szulgai is a scotochromogenic species recently recognized as a human pathogen. Twenty-nine cases of disease caused by M. szulgai in humans have been reported. Pulmonary disease indistinguishable from that caused by M. tuberculosis was the commonest type of infection caused by M. szulgai. Olecranon bursitis was reported in 3 cases and disseminated infection was noted in 3 cases occurring in immunocompromised patients without AIDS. The authors report the first case of pulmonary disease caused by M. szulgai in Brazil and the first case in patient with AIDS in the world literature.