• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.870-875
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• 1998

Actinomycosis is a bacterial infection that can affect virtually any site in the body. There are three major forms of actinomycosis: cervicofacial, abdominal, and thoracic. Aspergillus spp. are ubiquitous in the environment in most countries of the world. Pulmonary aspergillosis is clinically classified by aspergilloma, allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis and invasive aspergillosis. Actinomyces and Aspergillus, each of them was often reported in case, but mixed infection of both organisms have not been reported. We experienced a case of mixed infection of Actinomyces and Aspergillus involving the same area of the lung in a 62 year-old housewife presented with hemoptysis and solitary pulmonary nodule. Percutaneous needle aspiration and later surgical resection revealed sulfur granule mixed with Aspergillus hyphae in the same lesion. We report this case with a review of the literature.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.38 no.1 s.246
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• pp.50-55
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• 2005

Thoracic actinomycosis is a rare, chronic debilitating disease and it is difficult to diagnose and treat. Material and Method: Between March 1990 to December 2003, 17 patients were diagnosed and treated for actinomycosis in our center. Except 4 patients (involving cervicofacial, and abdominopelvic area), we reviewed the clinical characteristics, diagnosis method, and treatment in 13 patients. Result: In 8 patients, the operation was required for diagnosis and treatment. 7 of 8 patients had tumor-like lesions in radiological findings and they were not distinguished as lung cancer, and 1 of 8 patients was non-responsive to the antibiotics therapy. Among the 5 medically treated patients, 4 of 5 patients were diagnosed by bronchoscopic biopsy and one by CT-guided biopsy. All of them was well-responsive by the antibiotic treatment. Conclusion: Thoracic actinomycosis is a chronic inflammatory disease that respond well to antibiotics (penicillin therapy). It should be diagnosed by the repeated biopsy (CT-guided or bronchoscopic) before starting treatment. However, if the lesion is not distinguished as the lung cancer, non-responsive to the medical treatment, and the patients experience the recurrent hemoptysis, we can consider the operation for the diagnosis and treatment.