L'identification classique des mycobact~ries est habituellement bas~e sur l'~tude des caract~res culturaux, des caract~res biochimiques et de la sensibilit~ aux agents anti-bact~riens. Le d~lai de croissance, la temperature optimale de croissance, les aspects macroscopique et microscopique orientent le diagnostic vers le groupe des mycobact~ries de la tuberculose ou vers celui des myco-bact~ries "atypiques". Apr~s r~alisation de subcultures, l'~tude des propri~t~s biochimiques, ~ventuellement com-pl~t#~e par celle de la sensibilit~ aux anti-bact~riens conduit ~ l'identification de l'esp~ce. L'obtention d'un tel r~sultat requiert en g~n~ral plusieurs semaines. Au cours de ces vingt derni~res ann~es, de nouvelles rn~thodes se sont d~velopp~es, en particulier l'hybridation mol~culaire, permettant de raccourcir de fa¢on notable le d~lai d'identification. Cependant, la strat~gie classique reste la seule applicable au diagnostic de toutes les esp~ces et r~alisable dans tout laboratoire de biologie m~dicale.
MOTS-CLg:S mycobact~ries -identification classique -bacilles acidoalcoolo-r~sistants -caract~res culturaux -propri~t~s biochimiques.
According to traditional methods, mycobacteria are usually identified by cultural and biochemical characteristics, and antimicrobial suceptibility tests. Diagnosis is first oriented by the optimal temperature and rate of growth, and the macroscopic and microscopic aspects towards Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex or "atypical mycobacteria'. Species identification is reached after exaruination of biochemical properties and drug susceptibility tests performed on subcultures. This conventional identification usually requires several weeks. During the last two decades, different methods, especially those using nucleic acid probes, have been developed and have markedly shortened the identification procedure. However, traditional strategy remains the only one available for the diagnosis of all species and feasible in every clinical laboratory.