Thoracoabdominal actinomycosis – Chameleon through kaleidoscope

Abstract

Actinomyces is a gram-positive anaerobic bacterium that generally inhabits the human commensal flora of the bronchial system, the gastrointestinal and urogenital tract. In the rare case of becoming invasive under certain circumstances, the resulting Actinomycosis affects most commonly cervicofacial, thoracic, abdominal and pelvic regions. Due to its rarity and presenting with nonspecific clinical symptoms, thoracic and/or abdominal Actinomycosis in particular are highly intriguing clinical conditions that can easily be mistaken for other diseases including malignancies. Astute considerations are therefore necessary whenever we are challenged diagnostically to allow early diagnosis and thus avoiding gratuitous invasive surgery. In order to highlight different issues of this ultimate chronic disease we report a particular case of thoracoabdominal Actinomycosis.

Keywords

• Actinomyces
• Actinomycosis
• Sulfur granule
• Diagnosis
• Treatment