title: [Actinomycosis mimicking abdominal neoplasm].
abstract: A case of actinomycosis mimicking abdominal neoplasm in a 56-year old woman is presented. Actinomyces israelii is a common saprophyte found in the mouth and gastrointestinal tract. It is an anaerobic, Gram-positive, branching filamentous fungus related in many respects to the bacteria. Damage to the mucosa by trauma, disease or surgery is an essential prerequisite to infection with this organism. In 20% of the cases the abdomen is involved, but an abdominal mass is a rare presentation. In such cases diagnosis prior to exploratory laparotomy is difficult.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Medicine A, Hillel Yaffe Medical Center, Hadera.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rushrash
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rasem
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Amar
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rabinson
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000008:Abdominal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D000196:Actinomycosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged