Actinomycosis is an uncommon disease caused by actinomyces species, which are gram-positive anaerobic bacteria with filamentous appearance. Actinomyces israelii is the most common pathogen resulting in actinomycotic infection. The infection usually presents 3 distinct localizations: cervicofacial, thoracic, abdomino-pelvic. Cervicofacial actinomycosis accounts for about 50% of the cases. The sulfur granule defines the pathognomic pathologic finding of actinomycosis, but it has been reported in only 40% of cases. We report on a case of submandibular sialolithiasis that occurred due to antinomycosis in a 50-year old male patient.
Actinomyces ; Actinomycosis* ; Actinomycosis, Cervicofacial ; Bacteria, Anaerobic ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Salivary Gland Calculi* ; Submandibular Gland ; Sulfur

Actinomycosis of cerivcofacial region is an uncommon disease and presents as an abscess or chronic lesion mimicking malignancy, tuberculosis, or fungal lesion. Actinomycosis is difficult to diagnose because of fastidious nature of the organism in culture and general lack of familiarity with the disease. So, a high index of suspicion is required to make an accurate and timely diagnosis. We present a case of male patient with actinomycosis of submandibular triangle complaining of neck mass.
Abscess ; Actinomycosis* ; Actinomycosis, Cervicofacial ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Male ; Neck* ; Recognition (Psychology) ; Tuberculosis

Actinomycosis is a disease caused by an anaerobic bacteria called Actinomyces species (predominantly Actinomyces israelii), which is a common and normally nonpathogenic organism found in the nose and throat. The four major clinical presentations of actinomycosis include the cervicofacial, thoracic, abdominal, and pelvic region. Actinomycosis is difficult to diagnose because of variable presentation and fastidious nature of the organism in culture. A high index of suspicion and biopsy are often necessary to make the diagnosis, because the disease can mimic neoplasm or a chronic granulomatous infection. We present, with the appropriate review, a case of actinomycosis in the mandibular angle area which was mistaken for a parotid abscess.
Abscess* ; Actinomyces ; Actinomycosis ; Actinomycosis, Cervicofacial ; Bacteria, Anaerobic ; Biopsy ; Diagnosis ; Nose ; Pelvis ; Pharynx

Actinomycosis is an unusual granulomatous infection caused by gram-positive organisms (Actinomycetes. israelii, A. naeslundii, A. odontolyticus, and A. viscosus). Depending on the involved anatomical region, actinomycosis is classified into three clinical forms: cervicofacial (the most common, 55%), thoracic, or abdominopelvic. It is still a rare disease constituting less than 1% of all infections and primary parotid actinomycosis is even more rare, indeed. Actinomycosis typically has a chronic, indolent course characterized by swelling and induration of the soft tissues and eventual spontaneous drainage through multiple sinus tracts. The sulfur granule defines the pathognomonic pathologic finding of actinomycosis, but it has been reported in only 40% of cases. Treatment of cervicofacial actinomycosis consists of: removal of the infectious source, such as an infected tooth; incision and drainage, ideally including irrigating drains, and appropriate use of antibiotics and surgery. Our case dealt with a 55-year-old female presenting a firm mass in right parotid area. She was treated with surgical excision and antibiotic treatment.
Actinomycosis* ; Actinomycosis, Cervicofacial ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Drainage ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Parotid Gland* ; Rare Diseases ; Sulfur ; Tooth

Actinomycosis is an unusual subacute chronic disease caused by gram-positive anaerobic organisms such as Actinomycetes israelii, A. bovis, A. odontolyticus, and A. viscosus. Actinomycetes are prominent among the normal flora of the oral cavity. Because these organisms are not virulent, a break in the integrity of mucosa is necessary to cause human illness. Three common forms of illness are cervicofacial, thoracic and abdominopelvic actinomycosis. Cervicofacial form is the most common (55%) and often occurs after oral surgery, tooth extraction and cervicofacial trauma. Cervicofacial actinomycosis is characterized by initial soft tissue swelling, along with development of fistulas that discharge purulent yellow sulfur-like material (sulfur granules). Sulfur granule is the pathognomonic pathologic finding of actinomycosis but it has not been reported in all cases. Here, we report 6 cases of cervical actinomycosis that were trea-ted with surgical intervention and administration of proper antibiotics, with the review of literatures.
Actinobacteria ; Actinomycosis ; Actinomycosis, Cervicofacial ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Chronic Disease ; Fistula ; Humans ; Mouth ; Mucous Membrane ; Sulfur ; Surgery, Oral ; Tooth Extraction

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.
Abscess ; Actinomycetaceae ; Actinomycosis ; Actinomycosis, Cervicofacial* ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Bacteria, Anaerobic ; Biopsy ; Cellulitis ; Central Nervous System ; Head ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Middle Aged ; Neck ; Orbit* ; Penicillins

Actinomycosis in humans is currently a rare disease. Here we report a case of cervicofacial actinomycosis in a 24-year- old man. The patient presented with a painful cervical mass, without symptoms of infection. Clinical features and results of laboratory and imaging studies of the patient suggested a thyroid neoplasm or subacute thyroiditis. Fine needle aspiration cytology failed to yield a definite diagnosis. The pathologic report after a curative operation confirmed the presence of the characteristic sulfur granules in the lymph node just above the left lobe of the thyroid gland. Here we describe this rare case with a review of the typical clinical presentations of actinomycosis on the head and neck, its pathogenesis on the difficulties encountered in the diagnosis and treatment of the disease.
Actinomycosis* ; Actinomycosis, Cervicofacial ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Diagnosis ; Head ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes* ; Neck ; Rare Diseases ; Sulfur ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms* ; Thyroiditis, Subacute

Actinomycosis is a subacute or chronic suppurative infection caused by Actinomyces species, which are anaerobic Gram-positive bacteria that normally colonize the human mouth and digestive and urogenital tracts. Cervicofacial actinomycosis is the most frequent clinical form of actinomycosis, and is associated with odontogenic infection. Characterized by an abscess and mandibular involvement with or without fistula, but the cervicofacial form of actinomycosis is often misdiagnosed because the presentation is not specific and because it can mimic numerous infectious and non-infectious diseases, including malignant tumors. We report a rare case of actinomycosis infection with coexisting submandibular sialolithiasis. The patient presented with a 1x1 cm abscess-like lesion below the lower lip. Punch biopsy of the lesion revealed atypical squamous cell proliferation with infiltrative growth, suggestive of squamous cell carcinoma. The patient underwent wide excision of this lesion, where the lesion was found to be an abscess formation with multiple submandibular sialolithiases. The surgical specimen was found to contain Actinomyces without any evidence of a malignant process. We assumed that associated predisposing factors such as poor oral hygiene may have caused a dehydrated condition of the oral cavity, leading to coexistence of actinomycosis and sialolithiasis.
Abscess ; Actinomyces ; Actinomycosis* ; Actinomycosis, Cervicofacial ; Biopsy ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Causality ; Cell Proliferation ; Colon ; Fistula ; Gram-Positive Bacteria ; Humans ; Lip ; Mouth ; Oral Hygiene ; Salivary Gland Calculi* ; Submandibular Gland*

Actinomyces are gram positive anaerobes which exist as normal flora in the oral and digestive tract. Actinomycosis is a very rare subacute or chronic infectious disease that causes sinus fistula, tract or abscess due to the invasion of surrounding soft tissue when normal mucosa is damaged by inflammation. Clinically, it is categorized into cervicofacial, thorax, abdomen, pelvis, and systemic infection, in which cervicofacial infection accounts for 50% of all actinomycosis. With various nonspecific clinical manifestations and uncertain results of fine needle aspiration cytology and culture examination, treatment may be difficult since it may be misdiagnosed as malignancy or tuberculosis. Along with literature, we present a case of a 57-year old male patient with cervical actinomycosis in the submandibular mass, which was mistaken for malignancy.
Abdomen ; Abscess ; Actinomyces ; Actinomycosis ; Actinomycosis, Cervicofacial ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Communicable Diseases ; Fistula ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Male ; Mucous Membrane ; Pelvis ; Thorax ; Tuberculosis

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.]]>
Actinomyces ; Actinomycosis ; Actinomycosis, Cervicofacial ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Bacteria ; Calculi ; Dental Caries ; Dental Plaque ; Humans ; Male ; Molar, Third ; Mucous Membrane ; Root Canal Therapy ; Tooth Fractures ; Young Adult