A rare case of ascending colon actinomycosis mimicking cancer

BACKGROUND: Actinomycosis is a rare inflammatory disease caused by an anaerobic bacterium that can rarely affect the large intestine. CASE PRESENTATION: We present a rare case of a cecum and ascending colon actinomycosis in a 72 years old woman, mimicking clinically a malignant inflammatory tumor of the right colon. The patient complained of right lower quadrant pain. Although our first thought was a peri-appendiceal abscess, CT scan suggested a right colon tumor. The patient underwent a right colectomy and the histological examination of the specimen revealed colon actinomycosis. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative diagnosis in colon actinomycosis is difficult to achieve. Treatment of choice is antibiotics administration. A review of the possible pathogenesis and therapeutic modalities is also presented

Actinomycosis may be presented in unusual organs: A report of two cases

Actinomycosis is a chronic granulomatous suppurative disease characterized by direct extension to the contagious tissue with the formation of multiple drainage sinus tracts through which tiny colonies of organisms called sulfur granules are discharged. Here, we report 2 cases of actinomycosis from Iran. One of them had actinomycosis on the hand and the other on the foot. Samples of tissue biopsy showed sulfur granules associated with colonies of actinomyces, thus confirming the diagnosis in both cases. The response to curettage and penicillin therapy was satisfactory in our patients. The chronic and indolent course of actinomycosis resembles tuberculosis, fungal infection and malignancy. So, increasing awareness among the clinicians and clinical microbiologists will help in the early diagnosis of the disease and in the initiation of early and proper treatment

Primary cutaneous actinomycosis caused by Actinomyces meyeri as first manifestation of HIV infection

Primary cutaneous actinomycosis is very uncommon. We report a patient with cutaneous actinomycosis with multiple lesions without any detectable extra-cutaneous lesions. In our patient the actinomycosis was the presenting manifestation of HIV infection

Incidental actinomycosis in a 44-year-old female during total abdominal hysterectomy for abnormal uterine bleeding: A case report

Actinomycosis, a rare chronic bacterial infection caused by Actinomyces species, presents diagnostic challenges due to diverse clinical presentations. This report presents a case of peritoneal actinomycosis incidentally discovered during a total abdominal hysterectomy in a 44-year-old female with refractory abnormal uterine bleeding and a history of long-term intrauterine contraceptive device use. The patient presented with persistent abnormal uterine bleeding despite conservative management. Intraoperative findings during total abdominal hysterectomy revealed peritoneal involvement, prompting histopathological evaluation confirming actinomycosis. This case highlights diagnostic complexities associated with actinomycosis, emphasizing the significance of histopathological confirmation. Postoperative management with antibiotics demonstrated favorable outcomes, supporting their efficacy in treating actinomycosis. The case underscores the importance of considering uncommon infections in pelvic pathology, particularly in patients with prolonged intrauterine contraceptive device usage. It prompts further exploration of actinomycosis in relation to intrauterine contraceptive device use and highlights the need for timely intervention and histopathological confirmation for optimal patient care

Prevalence of gram-negative infections in cervico-facial sepsis

Magister Chirurgiae Dentium (MChD)In cervico-facial sepsis a substantial proportion of organisms are normally gram-negative staining of which the majority are anaerobes (Boyanova 2006 and Sanchez 2010). At Tygerberg Academic Hospital and Tygerberg Oral Health Centre it has been found that patients treated for cervico-facial sepsis seldom have gram-negative organisms on culture, although the staining results reported the presence of gram-negative organisms. The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of gram-negative staining in a population of patients with cervico-facial sepsis and to determine the number of gram-negative stains that yield gram-negative organisms on culture. Results indicated that 71 out of a possible 90 pus swabs reported a gram stain. Of those, 48 specimens stained gram-negative and only two of these cultured gram-negative organisms. Although gram-negative organisms are present on gram stain, microbiological diagnosis of gram-negative organisms on culture was very seldom found at the Maxillofacial and Oral Surgery unit at the Tygerberg Academic Hospital and Tygerberg Oral Health Centre

Prevalence of gram-negative infections in cervico-facial sepsis

Magister Chirurgiae Dentium (MChD)In cervico-facial sepsis a substantial proportion of organisms are normally gram-negative staining of which the majority are anaerobes (Boyanova 2006 and Sanchez 2010). At Tygerberg Academic Hospital and Tygerberg Oral Health Centre it has been found that patients treated for cervico-facial sepsis seldom have gram-negative organisms on culture, although the staining results reported the presence of gram-negative organisms. The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of gram-negative staining in a population of patients with cervico-facial sepsis and to determine the number of gram-negative stains that yield gram-negative organisms on culture. Results indicated that 71 out of a possible 90 pus swabs reported a gram stain. Of those, 48 specimens stained gram-negative and only two of these cultured gram-negative organisms. Although gram-negative organisms are present on gram stain, microbiological diagnosis of gram-negative organisms on culture was very seldom found at the Maxillofacial and Oral Surgery unit at the Tygerberg Academic Hospital and Tygerberg Oral Health Centre

Actinomycosis of the parotid gland. Challenges in diagnosis and treatment – case report

Introduction: Primary actinomycosis of the parotid gland is a rare infectious disease which can mimic a malignant process both clinically and diagnostically.Case report: We present a case report of actinomycosis of the parotid gland manifesting as a slowly growing tumor in the left neck region.Methods: Computer tomography, histopathologic examinationResults: Total sialoadenectomy. Confirmed diagnosis of actinomycosis. Patient introduced to an infectious disease specialist.Conclusion: Although this location of actinomycosis is rare, the disease must be considered in the differential diagnosis of parotid gland tumors

Incidental actinomycosis in a 44-year-old female during total abdominal hysterectomy for abnormal uterine bleeding: A case report

Actinomycosis, a rare chronic bacterial infection caused by Actinomyces species, presents diagnostic challenges due to diverse clinical presentations. This report presents a case of peritoneal actinomycosis incidentally discovered during a total abdominal hysterectomy in a 44-year-old female with refractory abnormal uterine bleeding and a history of long-term intrauterine contraceptive device use. The patient presented with persistent abnormal uterine bleeding despite conservative management. Intraoperative findings during total abdominal hysterectomy revealed peritoneal involvement, prompting histopathological evaluation confirming actinomycosis. This case highlights diagnostic complexities associated with actinomycosis, emphasizing the significance of histopathological confirmation. Postoperative management with antibiotics demonstrated favorable outcomes, supporting their efficacy in treating actinomycosis. The case underscores the importance of considering uncommon infections in pelvic pathology, particularly in patients with prolonged intrauterine contraceptive device usage. It prompts further exploration of actinomycosis in relation to intrauterine contraceptive device use and highlights the need for timely intervention and histopathological confirmation for optimal patient care

Treatment of cervicofacial actinomycosis: a report of 19 cases and review of literature

Objectives: Actinomycosis is a chronic suppurative granulomatous infection caused by the Actinomyces genus. Orocervicofacial actinomycosis is the most common form of the disease, seen in up to 55% of cases. All forms of actinomycosis are treated with high doses of intravenous penicillin G over two to six weeks, followed by oral penicillin V. Large studies on cervicofacial actinomycosis are lacking. Therefore proper guidelines for treatment and treatment duration are difficult to establish. The aim of this study is to establish effective treatment and treatment duration for orocervicofacial actinomycosis. Study design: A Pubmed and Embase search was performed with the focus on treatment and treatment duration for cervicofacial actinomycosis. The hospital records of all patients presenting to our department with head and neck infection from January 2000 to December 2010 were reviewed, retrospectively. The following data were collected: age, gender, clinical presentation, aetiology, duration of symptoms, microbiological findings, treatment, and duration of treatment. The treatment and treatment duration is subsequently compared to the literature. Results: The literature search provided 12 studies meeting the inclusion criteria. All studies were retrospective in nature. Penicillin or amoxicillin/clavulanic acid are the preferred antibiotic regimens found in the literature. Most of our patients were treated with a combination of penicillin G 12 million units/day and metronidazol 500 mg 3/ day, most commonly for a duration of 1 - 4 weeks, being shorter than the 3 - 52 weeks reported in the literature. Conclusion: When actinomycosis is suspected, our review has shown that a surgical approach in combination with intravenous penicillin and metronidazol until clinical improvement is seen, followed by oral antibiotics for 2 - 4 weeks is generally efficient