ABSTRACT
Clinical data of a case of occult pulmonary actinomycosis with foreign body admitted to Shenzhen Children′s Hospital were retrospectively analyzed, and the relevant literatures were retrieved and reviewed.A female patient aged 6 years and 9 months planned to receive hematopoietic stem cell transplantation due to thalassemia.During the plain chest CT examination before the transplantation, flakes of shadows were examined in the right lower lung.The child had no clinical symptoms or pulmonary signs.The granulation tissue hyperplasia of the right lower lobe was detected by tracheoscopy, which was harvested for examination under tracheoscopy, and actinomycete infection was confirmed.Several bone fragments were found wrapped inside the granulation.After 6 months of treatment with Amoxicillin and Clavulanate potassium, the tracheoscopic manifestations and chest CT were improved.Pulmonary actinomycosis is a rare pulmonary infectious disease, which is much rarer in children than adults, manifesting as an insidious onset and atypical clinical manifestations.However, foreign bodies in children′s airway are common, which is favorable to infection.In clinical detection of actinomycete infection, the cause of infection should be concerned to prevent misdiagnosis and mistreatment.
ABSTRACT
Pulmonary actinomycosis is a rare yet important and challenging diagnosis to make. It is commonly confused with other lung diseases, such as tuberculosis and bronchogenic carcinoma, leading to delay diagnosis or misdiagnosis. A 49-year-old man presented with a chronic cough, hemoptysis, and pleuritic chest pain. His initial imaging studies including computed tomography (CT) was suggestive of bronchogenic carcinoma. A subsequent CTguided biopsy was consistent with pulmonary actinomycosis and excluded the possibility of bronchogenic carcinoma. He was treated with antibiotic therapy and achieved remission with complete radiological resolution upon follow-up.
ABSTRACT
Se presentan 4 casos de actinomicosis pulmonar en pacientes mayores de 40 años, 2 de ellos con enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica (EPOC), que mostraron un aumento de la tos productiva, episodios de disnea, hemoptisis y fiebre de larga evolución. En las radiografías de tórax de rutina se observaban imágenes segmentarias de consolidación aérea, sugestivas de cuadros neumónicos no resueltos o neoplasia. La tomografía axial computarizada (TAC) mostró hallazgos similares a los anteriores. Los cultivos de esputo y las pruebas de Mantoux fueron repetidamente negativos. Debido a la mala evolución de los pacientes y a los hallazgos radiológicos, se practicó una punción-aspiración con aguja fina (PAAF) para descartar neoplasia. En la citología se observaron conglomerados tridimensionales, de bordes filamentosos y aspecto algodonoso compatibles con Actinomyces. El tratamiento antibiótico produjo la mejoría del cuadro clínico y el seguimiento demostró la desaparición de las opacidades radiológicas. Actualmente, la actinomicosis pulmonar es infrecuente y la sintomatología inespecífica, por lo que puede confundirse con procesos neoplásicos. Por tanto, en pacientes con factores de riesgo, síntomas de neumonía subaguda e imágenes radiológicas de consolidación del parénquima es aconsejable considerar la posibilidad de actinomicosis pulmonar. Es una enfermedad tratable y su correcto diagnóstico mediante la PAAF evita al paciente pruebas diagnósticas más agresivas, retrasos en el diagnóstico y le permite una cura completa con tratamiento antibiótico.
We present four cases of pulmonary actinomycosis in patients over 40 years of age, two of them with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), showing an increase in productive cough, episodes of dyspnea, hemoptysis and long-term fever. Routine chest radiographs revealed segmental air-space consolidation, suggestive of unresolved pneumonia or neoplasm. Computed tomography (CT) scan showed similar findings to the ones previously described. Sputum cultures for mycobacteriae and Mantoux tests were constantly negative. Due to the poor clinical and radiodological outcome of the patients, a fine needle aspiration (FNA) was made to rule out a neoplasm. Tridimensional filamentous colonies of Actinomyces were observed in cytology. Antibiotic treatment resulted in an improvement of symptoms. The follow-up showed a decrease of the consolidation areas. Pulmonary actinomycosis is rare nowadays and clinical symptoms are unspecific and can be confused with a neoplasm process. Therefore, in patients with risk factors, symptoms of subacute pneumonia and radiologic findings of consolidation, it is advisable to consider pulmonary actinomycosis as a diagnostic possibility. It is a treatable disease and its correct diagnosis by FNA, avoids performing invasive diagnostic tests, delays in the diagnosis and allows for a complete cure by antibiotic therapy.
Subject(s)
Adult , Aged , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Actinomycosis/diagnosis , Biopsy, Fine-Needle , Pneumonia, Bacterial/diagnosis , Actinomycosis/complications , Actinomycosis/pathology , Actinomycosis , Alcoholism/complications , Diagnosis, Differential , Disease Susceptibility , /complications , Lung Neoplasms/diagnosis , Pneumonia, Bacterial/complications , Pneumonia, Bacterial/pathology , Pneumonia, Bacterial , Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/complications , Tomography, X-Ray ComputedABSTRACT
La actinomicosis es una enfermedad causada por un microorganismo gram positivo anaerobio, Actinomyces israelií, habitualmente con ausencia de actividad patogénica. Su expresión infecciosa más común se localiza en piel de cara y cuello, dado que éste es residente frecuente de nariz y garganta. Su comportamiento infeccioso es raro en otros órganos. Se presenta un paciente adulto con cuadro clínico respiratorio de tres meses de evolución, en quien se diagnostica actinomicosis pulmonar posterior a lobectomía por sospecha clínica inicial de malignidad (Acta Med Colomb 2010; 35: 132-134).
Actinomycosis is a disease caused by Actinomyces israelii, a gram-positive, anaerobic microorganism which usually lacks pathogenic activity. Its most common clinical expression is infection of the skin of the face and neck, since the microorganism is a frequent resident of the nose and throat. Infectious behavior is extremely rare in other organs. We present the case of an adult patient with respiratory manifestations which evolved over a period of three months, who was diagnosed with Pulmonary Actinomycosis after lobectomy performed due to an initial clinical suspicion of malignancy (Acta Med Colomb 2010; 35: 132-134).
ABSTRACT
Actinomycosis is an indolent infectious disease characterized by pyogenic response and necrosis, followed by intense fibrosis. The main forms of human actinomycosis are cervicofacial, pulmonary, and abdominopelvic type. Pulmonary actinomycosis accounts for 15% to 20% of total cases and unfortunately, clinical manifestations and radiologic findings are nonspecific. Small pleural effusion or empyema may develop in advanced disease but massive empyema is infrequent and rarely reported. We report a case of huge empyema caused by pulmonary actinomycosis in a 55 year-old man, presented with one-month history of productive cough and fever. The CT scan revealed a huge cavity with air-fluid level occupying the left hemithorax. Empyema caused by actinomycosis was confirmed microscopically by demonstration of sulfur granules in empyema sac through thracotomy. Decortication and surgical resection of empyema sac and destructed lung was accomplished and followed by intravenous infusion of penicillin G.
Subject(s)
Humans , Middle Aged , Actinomycosis , Communicable Diseases , Cough , Empyema , Fever , Fibrosis , Infusions, Intravenous , Lung , Necrosis , Penicillin G , Pleural Effusion , Sulfur , Tomography, X-Ray ComputedABSTRACT
Pulmonary actinomycosis is a chronic suppurative disease usually caused by Actinomyces israelii, characterized by suppuration, sinus tract formation, and purulent discharge containing yellowish "sulfur granules". It is usually caused by aspiration of contaminated material from mouth or oropharynx. The diagnosis of pulmonary actinomycosis is difficult and its initial clinical manifestations mimic tuberculosis or neoplasm. We experienced a case of thoracic actinomycosis in a 47-year old male patient who had complained of cough, chest pain and fever for 2 months. The diagnosis was confirmed pathologically by ultrasonography guided gun-biopsy of pleural mass and thoracoscopic wedge biopsy of parenchymal lung lesion.