• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• v.50 no.2
• /
• pp.147-150
• /
• 2011

We report a case of cerebral actinomycosis in a 69-year-old immunocompetent woman. The patient showed a progressive worsened mental status for one week. MRI examination showed an increased size of multiple enhancing nodular lesions associated with mild perilesional edema. We performed an open biopsy for the right frontal enhancing lesion. The intraoperative finding showed a yellowish friable lesion that was not demarcated with normal tissue. Pathologically, an actinomycotic lesion with sulfur granules and inflammatory cells was diagnosed. We report an unusual case of diffuse involvement of cerebral actinomycosis. The presence of the uncapsulated friable lesion that consisted mainly of foamy macrophages and lymphocytes could explain the unusual radiological features.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
• /
• v.23 no.1
• /
• pp.82-86
• /
• 2001

Actinomycosis is chronic, granulomatous, suppurative and fibrosing disease caused by Actinomyces. Actinomyces are anaerobic, G(+), non-acid-fast, branched, filamentous bacteria. The most commonly found microorganism is Actinomyces israelii. Common site for isolation of actinomyces are dental plaque, dental caries, calculus, and tonsillar crypt. A breach in the integrity of the mucosa by direct trauma or following a fracture, tooth extraction, root canal therapy or some intraoral surgical procedure is thought to be the most likely portal of entry. This is a case report of 23 years old male with cervicofacial actinomycosis developed after extraction and treated with surgical excision and antibiotics.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.36 no.11
• /
• pp.878-882
• /
• 2003

Tracheal bronchus is an aberrant, accessory or ectopic bronchus arising almost invariably from the right lateral wall of the trachea and may be related to inflammatory conditions affecting the lung, including recurrent pneumonia, bronchiectasis. Recently we experienced a case of tracheal bronchus associated with pulmonary actinomycosis. The 37-year-old male patient had suffered recurrent hemoptysis and had been medicated as a presumptive diagnosis of tuberculosis, but either clinical or radiologic improvement was not seen. Right upper lobectomy was performed and pulmonary actinomycosis was confirmed by the histologic examination. Postoperatively, the patient was medicated with penicillin and ampicillin for 3 months and completely recovered without any evidence of recurrence during the 6month follow-up period.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.41 no.3
• /
• pp.390-394
• /
• 2008

We report here on two eases of a 48-year old woman and a 46-year-old man who both presented with broneholithiasis and obstructive pneumonitis. Removal of the broncholithiasis failed with bronchofibroscopy, and so right middle lobectomy of the lung were done in the 2 patients. The histopathologic diagnosis was thoracic actinomycosis associated with broncholithiasis. Thoracic actinomycosis associated with broncholithiasis is a very rare condition, so we report here on these two cases of thoracic actinomycosis associated with broncholithiasis.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.70-74
• /
• 2014

Actinomycosis is caused by filamentous Gram positive anaerobic bacteria from the Actinomycetaceae family, and known as a rare cause of the infection at the eyeball. We report magnetic resonance findings of a 60-year-old Korean man with cervicofacial actinomycosis, including cellulitis in the eye and central nervous system actinomycosis. On orbital magnetic resonance imaging, gadolinium-enhanced T1-weight images showed multiple abnormal enhancing lesions in head and neck including right eye, and some include low signal intensities which considered as abscesses. The lesions was diagnosed as actinomycosis by incisional biopsy, and since then was cured by using antibiotics of penicillin family.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.39 no.3 s.260
• /
• pp.236-239
• /
• 2006

A 32 year-old man was transferred to our hospital due to blood-tinged sputum for 15 days. He had been treated at a private hospital for recurrent pneumonia. The chest X-ray showed an atelectasis on the right middle lobe. Computed tomography of the chest demonstrated a broncholith on right middle lobar bronchus with lobar atelectasis of the right middle lobe. We tried to remove the broncholith through fiberoptic bronchoscopy, but could not remove it. Therefore, we performed surgical removal of broncholith and the right middle lobectomy. The cause of broncholith was identified as actinomycosis by pathologic examination. The broncholith caused by actinomycosis is rare. We report a rare case of broncholithiasis with recurrent obstructive pneumonia caused by actinomycosis, which was treated by surgical operation.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
• /
• v.3 no.2
• /
• pp.100-103
• /
• 1992

We experienced a case of primary hepatic actinomycosis which was initially diagnosed by means of fine needle aspiration. The patient was a 31-year-old emaciated man with a 2-month history of 10 kg weight loss, right upper quadrant pain and flank pain. The liver was palpable and tender on physical examination. Computerized tomography scan of the liver showed two ill-defined hypodense masses in gallbladder fossa and inferior pole of right lobe. Hepatocellular carcinoma was clinically suspected. A CT-guided fine needle aspiration was peformed. Microscopically, smears showed numerous radiating clusters of filamentous bacteria with many neutrophils and monocytes in necrotic background. The symptoms were improved by incision and drainage and massive administration of penicillin.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
• /
• v.43 no.4
• /
• pp.282-285
• /
• 2017

Actinomycosis is an infrequent chronic infection regarded as the most misdiagnosed disease by experienced clinicians. The Office of Rare Diseases at the National Institute of Health has also listed this disease as a "rare disease." This article presents a case report of actinomycosis of the alveolus with unusual clinical features but a successful resolution. It also states the importance of biopsy of deceptive inflammatory lesions that do not respond or recur after conventional treatment modalities.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
• /
• v.2 no.2
• /
• pp.172-178
• /
• 1991

Actinomycosis involving the female genital tract has increased since the advent of the intra-uterine contraceptive devices (IUD) : the incidence of actinomyces in IUD users with pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) was reported to be between 17% and 30%. However a definte relationship between actinomyces and PID has not been demonstrated as yet. We present a case of pelvic actinomycotic infection that was initially diagnosed by means of fine needle aspiration. A 57-year-old female presented with urinary frequency and difficulty for 100 days. Computerized tomographic findings showed a mixed heterogenous soft tissue mass in the left superior aspect of urinary bladder. Fine needle aspiration was done under the impression of urinary bladder cancer. Microscopically, smears disclosed many sulfur granules in necrotic background with many neutrophils, histiocytes, multinucleated giant cells and granulation tissue. These findings were confirmed by surgical removal of the mass.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.58 no.6
• /
• pp.576-581
• /
• 2005

Background : Thoracic actinomycosis is a relatively uncommon anaerobic infection caused by Actinomyces israelii. There have been only a few case reports of endobronchial actinomycosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical manifestation and treatment of endobronchial actinomycosis. Material and Methods : Seven patients with endobronchial actinomycosis, who were diagnosed in the past 10 years, were retrospectively reviewed. Results : Cough and sputum were the most common symptoms. The chest radiograph and computed tomography showed necrotic consolidation (n=3), atelectasis (n=2), mass (n=1) and an endobronchial nodule (n=1). Proximal broncholithiasis was observed in five patients. All cases were initially suspected to have either lung cancer or tuberculosis. In these patients, the median duration of intravenous antibiotics was 3 days (range 0-12 days) and the median duration of oral antibiotics was 147 days (range 20-412 days). Two patients received oral antibiotic therapy only. There was no clinical evidence of a recurrence. Conclusion : Endobronchial actinomycosis frequently manifests as a proximal obstructive calcified endobronchial nodule that is associated with distal post-obstructive pneumonia. The possibility of endobronchial actinomycosis is suggested when findings of broncholithiasis are present at chest CT. The traditional recommendation of 2-6 weeks of intravenous antibiotics and 6-12 months of oral antibiotic therapy are not necessarily essential in all cases of endobronchial actinomycosis.