title: Lung, pleural and colon actinomycosis in an immunocompromised patient: a rare form of presentation.
abstract: Actinomycosis is caused by gram-positive filamentous organisms of the genus Actinomyces, which may spread through trauma. Most commonly, it is a cervicofacial disease due to dental infection or a thoracic disease secondary to aspiration of foreign bodies. Primary abdominal infection usually follows some form of mucosal disruption. Any organ of the human body may be involved so that a wide range of symptoms may be present. We report a rare form of actinomycosis involving the lung, pleura and colon concomitantly in an immunocompromised patient. A fine needle aspiration from a lung lesion detected the characteristic sulfur granules, and a pleural effusion culture confirmed the diagnosis. Clinical manifestations and treatment are discussed. Actinomycetes are rarely opportunistic agents in immunocompromised patients; thus the disease deserves special attention in those patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Clinical Unit, Ioannina University Medical School, Ioannina, Greece. kcharlal@cc.uoi.gr
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Charalabopoulos
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Charalabopoulos
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Papalimneou
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ioachim
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Constantopoulos
mesh_terms: D000196:Actinomycosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D000368:Aged; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D003108:Colonic Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D008172:Lung Diseases, Fungal / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D010995:Pleural Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D015898:Tomography Scanners, X-Ray Computed