| A case of severe endocarditis caused by actinomyces viscosus is described in a previously healthy 70-year-old man. The isolated strain has been characterized by biochemical tests, gas-liquid chromatography and serology. The pathogenic significance of the organism is discussed and the difficulty in reaching a correct diagnosis due to the similarity to species of corynebacterium is pointed out. ( info) |
2/603. Actinomyces and nocardia infections in immunocompromised and nonimmunocompromised patients. A retrospective survey of nocardia and actinomyces infections in five local hospitals was conducted over a 3-year period in El Paso, texas, a border city, in the southwestern united states. The medical records of 42 patients with suspected nocardiosis or actinomycosis were reviewed. One patient was diagnosed with actinomyces and 12 patients with nocardia. Microbiological data included morphologic characteristics, biochemical profile, and susceptibility testing. Predisposing factors included leukemia, renal insufficiency, renal transplant, and lymphoma. No predisposing factors were found in 67% (n = 8) of patients (including the patient with actinomycosis). Twenty-three percent (n = 3) of patients had disseminated disease without evidence of underlying disease or immunosuppression. The mortality and morbidity of these infections appeared to be low. ( info) |
3/603. Cervicofacial and pulmonary actinomycosis associated with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. A case of cervicofacial and pulmonary actinomycosis associated with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) is reported. The patient underwent antimicrobial treatment and surgical debridement of a palatine lesion. Complete clinical recovery was achieved. The presence of actinomycosis may obscure and delay the diagnosis of NHL. ( info) |
4/603. Childhood actinomycosis. Report of 3 recent cases. Three cases of childhood actinomycosis are reported, 2 with the commonest presentation of cervicofacial abscess and the third with a rarely reported superficial chest wall abscess. The importance of prompt bacteriological diagnosis and adequate treatment with surgical drainage and chemotherapy is stressed. Though in adults males are affected more frequently than females, the sexes are probably equally affected in childhood. ( info) |
| Three cases of actinomycotic brain infection are described, 2 of which manifested as cerebral abscess, the third as epidural empyema. Complete resolution of the infection was always achieved by means of surgical treatment and prolonged antibiotic therapy. The cases reported emphasize the importance of a combined approach in the treatment of this unusual cause of brain infection. ( info) |
6/603. actinomycosis--an unusual case of an uncommon disease. actinomycosis is an uncommon disease caused by organisms of the Actinomyces genus. These organisms are commonly found in the mucous membranes but do not cause infection unless there is disruption of the membranes, as occurs, for example, during dental trauma or abdominal surgery. Use of an IUD is also a risk factor for pelvic actinomycosis. The disease is usually insidious and is often mistaken for other conditions. Treatment of the infection, once diagnosed, is a regimen of long-term antibiotics such as penicillin, clindamycin, and others. Our patient had pelvic and sacral actinomycosis without any of the traditional risk factors for infection. ( info) |
7/603. Hepatic actinomycosis. A case report. A case of hepatic actinomycosis contracted one year after removal of an intrauterine device during ongoing Actinomyces cervicitis is reported. During active disease, lymphocytes from the apparently fully immunocompetent patient were able to proliferate but not to produce the proinflammatory lymphokine gamma-interferon in response to Actinomyces antigen. This ability was only partly restored during antibiotic therapy. ( info) |
8/603. Urinary undiversion for pelvic actinomycosis: a long-term follow up. BACKGROUND: A 43-year-old woman who had been using intrauterine contraceptive devices for the past 10 years underwent an emergency operation for bowel and urinary obstruction. methods/RESULTS: Frozen section analysis showed undifferentiated adenocarcinoma. Incomplete tumorectomy, ileal resection, partial cystectomy, colostomy and bilateral ureterocutaneostomy were palliatively performed. Postoperatively, periodic acid-Schiff and Grocott-Gomori methenamine tests revealed Actinomyces and the final diagnosis was pelvic actinomycosis. Treatment with penicillin g administered intravenously relieved her symptoms and the lesion was dramatically improved. The patient underwent colostomy closure and urinary undiversion. CONCLUSIONS: Five years after urinary undiversion, the patient's renal function has been maintained and she can void without incontinence and dysuria. ( info) |
9/603. pilonidal sinus of the penis. A report of two cases, one of them associated with actinomycosis. pilonidal sinus is a long-standing chronic inflammatory condition which occurs most commonly in the sacrococcygeal area and it is rare in the penis. Two cases of penile pilonidal sinus in patients aged 25 and 28 years are reported and the literature is reviewed. The lesion is acquired and has to be distinguished from balanoposthitis, epidermal cyst and carcinoma. For pilonidal sinus to occur at this site, it is hypothesized that the coronal sulcus acts as a cleft where hair may accumulate and be driven into the shaft and prepuce by the natural movement between these two surfaces. One of our cases was associated with actinomycosis. actinomycosis associated with pilonidal sinus of the penis is extremely rare and there are only two previous reports. It is suggested that pilonidal sinus may have been predisposed to the infection with the actinomyces organisms. Information stating that penile pilonidal sinus and actinomycosis may occur simultaneously is necessary to accomplish an early diagnosis. ( info) |
| endophthalmitis, attributable to actinomyces viscosus, developed in a 78-year-old man after cataract surgery. Postoperative endophthalmitis with this organism is a rare occurrence. This report emphasizes the importance of the Actinomyces species as potential eye pathogens and presents antimicrobial susceptibility data for the isolate. ( info) |