ABSTRACT
La actinomicosis es una infección supurativa crónica, producida por bacterias Gram-positivas anaeróbicas o especies Actinomyces microaerófilas. Es rara en niños y adolescentes; es más común en inmunodeprimidos. El Mycobacterium tuberculosis colabora en el desarrollo de la enfermedad. La afectación pulmonar aparece como un cuadro de condensación crónica que no mejora con el tratamiento antibiótico convencional. Las complicaciones clásicas de afectación de la pared torácica con fistulización y supuración en «granulo de azufre¼ son descritas con menor frecuencia en la actualidad. El diagnóstico es un verdadero desafío y se establece mediante el aislamiento de las especies de Actinomyces. El tratamiento de elección para todas las formas clínicas de la enfermedad es el uso prolongado de antibióticos. Objetivo. Presentar un caso pediátrico de comorbilidad entre tuberculosis y actinomicosis. Resaltar la importancia de la sospecha diagnóstica de actinomicosis frente a todo proceso supurado crónico.
Actinomycosis is a chronic suppurative infection, produced by anaerobic Gram-positive bacteria or microaerobic Actinomyces species. It is rare in children and adolescents and it is more common in immunocompromised. Mycobacterium tuberculosis collaborates on the development of the disease. Pulmonary involvement appears as a picture of chronic condensation that does not improve with conventional antibiotic treatment. Classic complications affecting the thoracic wall with drainage in «sulfur granule¼ and fistulization are described less frequently nowadays. The diagnosis is a real challenge and it is set by using the isolation of species of Actinomyces. The treatment of choice for all clinical forms of the disease is the prolonged use of antibiotics. Objective: to present a pediatric case of comorbidity between tuberculosis and actinomycosis and to highlight the importance of diagnostic suspicion of actinomycosis in the presence of all chronic suppurative processes.
Subject(s)
Humans , Female , Adolescent , Tuberculosis/complications , Actinomycosis/complications , Lung Diseases/complications , Lung Diseases/microbiologyABSTRACT
Introduction: Actinomycosis is an infrequent infection caused by bacteria from Actinomyces genus that manifests as a chronic, suppurative and progressive disease. Thoracic actinomycosis occurs in 18 percent of the cases, and infection by Actinomyces odontolyticus is even less frequent. The clinical presentation mimics tuberculosis or neoplastic processes. Clinical case: We report the case of a 75 years old man with COPD and Diabetes Mellitus type 2. He was referred to our clinic presenting a history of chronic cough, progressive dyspnea, fever and occasional bouts of haemoptysis. Chest radiograph showed a peripherally-located parenchymal opacity in the upper right lobe with over a year of evolution that later became a cavitary mass mimicking bronchogenic neoplasm or tuberculosis. The patient underwent bronchoscopic and CT- guided biopsy that showed necrosis and inflammatory cells. In the culture of cavitary fluids grew Actinomyces odontolyticus. We concluded that it was a thoracic actinomycosis. Penicillin 20 million units per day for six weeks was given, followed by oral amoxicillin for 6 months with good clinical and radiological response. Comments: To our knowledge this is the first report in Chile of lung infection caused by Actinomyces odontolyticus. Actinomycosis is a great masquerader, in this case we made the diagnosis with a fluid culture. This microorganism must be considered in the differential diagnostic in cavitary lung diseases.
Introducción: La actinomicosis pulmonar es una infección infrecuente causada por una bacteria del género Actinomyces, se manifiesta como un proceso crónico, supurativo de curso progresivo, el compromiso torácico ocurre aproximadamente en el 18 por ciento de los casos y la infección por Actinomyces odontolyticus es aun menos frecuente. Caso clínico: Se presenta el caso de un paciente hombre de 75 años de edad con antecedentes de EPOC y Diabetes Mellitus tipo 2, que fue derivado a nuestra clínica por cursar con una reagudización infecciosa persistente caracterizada por tos productiva, disnea progresiva,fiebre y episodios reiterados de hemoptisis de escasa cuantía. En la radiografía de tórax y tomografia computada, se detectaron opacidades mal definidas en lóbulo superior derecho de un año de evolución, que posteriormente se transforman en una masa cavitada adyacente a la pared toráxica simulando una neoplasia broncogénica o tuberculosis. El paciente fue sometido a fibrobroncoscopía realizándose biopsia y punción transbronquial. Posteriormente se efectuó biopsia por punción trans-toráxica guiada radiológicamente y en una muestra de tejido de aspecto necrótico y en líquido de la cavidad enviado a cultivo se pudo aislar Actinomyces odontolyticus. Concluyéndose que se trataba de una actinomicosis tóraco-pulmonar, se procedió a tratar con penicilina sódica 20 10(6) UI/dia por seis semanas y después se programó tratamiento por seis meses con amoxicilina vía oral, con buena respuesta clínica y radiológica. Comentarios: En nuestro conocimiento esta sería la primera comunicación en Chile de una lesión pulmonar producida por Actinomyces odontolyticus. La Actinomicosis, es un gran imitador, en este caso realizamos el diagnóstico con cultivo de líquido por punción. Este microorganismo debe ser considerado en el diagnóstico diferencial de lesiones cavitarias pulmonares.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Aged , Actinomycosis/diagnosis , Lung Diseases/diagnosis , Lung Diseases/microbiology , Actinomyces/isolation & purification , Biopsy , Diagnosis, Differential , Radiography, Thoracic , Tomography, X-Ray ComputedABSTRACT
Actinomycosis is an infrequent infection caused by bacteria from Actinomyces genus that manifests as a chronic, suppurative and progressive disease. It's more common in men. Thoracic actinomycosis occurs in 15% of the cases, and infection of the chest wall is less frequent. The clinical presentation mimics tuberculosis or neoplastic processes. In this article we present the case of a 63 year-old man with no comorbidity, with pulmonary actinomycosis involving the chest wall mimicking a neoplastic process, basing the diagnosis on histopathologic findings.
La actinomicosis es una infección poco común causada por bacterias del género Actinomyces que se manifiesta como una enfermedad crónica, supurativa y progresiva. Es más frecuente en hombres. La actinomicosis torácica se presenta en 15% de los casos, siendo el compromiso de pared torácica aún menos frecuente. La presentación clínica simula procesos neoplásicos o tuberculosis. Se describe el caso de un hombre de 63 años, sin co-morbilidad, con una actinomicosis pulmonar con compromiso de pared torácica que simuló ser un proceso neoplásico. El diagnóstico fue confirmado por los hallazgos histopatológicos.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Actinomycosis/diagnosis , Lung Neoplasms/diagnosis , Respiratory Tract Infections/diagnosis , Actinomycosis/microbiology , Diagnosis, Differential , Lung/microbiology , Respiratory Tract Infections/microbiology , Thoracic Wall/microbiologyABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Actinomycotic infection is uncommon and primary actinomycosis of the lung and chest wall huts been less frequently reported. This disease may present as chronic debilitating illness with radiologic manifestation simulating lung tumor, pulmonary infiltrating lesion or chronic suppuration Diagnosis of choice was not definded yet and role of bronchoscopy on diagnosis was not described yet. METHODS: From 1989 to 1998, we experienced 17 cases of thoracic actinomycosis. We have reviewed the case notes of 17 patients with thoracic actinomycosis. The mean age at presentation was 53 +/- 13 years, 11 were male. RESULTS: Cough, hemoptysis, sputum production chest pain and weight loss were the commonest symptoms. The mean delay between presentation and diagnosis was 6.6 +/- 7.8 months. There were six patients who presented with a clinical picture of a suppurative lesion and eleven patients were suspected of having primary lung tumor initially. In no cases was made an accurate diagnosis at the time of hospital admission Associated diseases were emphysema (1 case), bronchiectasis (2 cases) and tuberculosis (2 cases). Bronchoscopic findings were mucosal swelling and stenosis (n=4), mucosal swelling, stenosis and necrotic covering (1=2), mass (n=3), mass and necrotic covering (n=1) and normal(n=6). Radiologic findings were mass lesion(n=8), pneumonitis(n=3), atelectasis(n=3), pleural effusion (n=2), and normal(n=3), Final diagnosis was based on percutaneous needle aspiration and biopsy (n=3), bronchoscopic biopsy specimens (n=9), mediastinoscopic biopsy (n=1) and histologic examination of resected tissue in the remaining patients(n=4) who received surgical excision Among 17 patients, 13 were treated medically and the other 4 received surgical intervention followed by antibiotic treatment Regarding the surgically treated patients suspected malignancy is the most common indication for operation. However, both medically and surgically treated patients achieved good clinical results. CONCLUSION: Thoracic actinomycosis is rare, but should still be considered in the differential diagnosis of a chrinic, localized pulmonary lesion Thoracic actinomycosis may co-exist with pulmonary tuberculosis or lung cancer. If the lesion is located in the central of the lung, the bronchoscopy is recommanded for the diagnosis.