Acid-fast actinomyces in a child with pulmonary actinomycosis.
Open-lung biopsy in a child with chronic pneumonia revealed branched gram-positive acid-fast organisms, later identified as Actinomyces israelii. Like Nocardia asteroides, A israelii can be acid fast by the commonly used Putt stain. The pneumonia was cured with 12 weeks of penicillin treatment.
D000190:Actinomyces / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000196:Actinomycosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D000293:Adolescent; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D009617:Nocardia Infections / Q000175:diagnosis; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000382:microbiology*