title: A rare case of ascending colon actinomycosis mimicking cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Actinomycosis is a rare inflammatory disease caused by an anaerobic bacterium that can rarely affect the large intestine.
  
  
  METHODS
  We present a rare case of a cecum and ascending colon actinomycosis in a 72 years old woman, mimicking clinically a malignant inflammatory tumor of the right colon. The patient complained of right lower quadrant pain. Although our first thought was a peri-appendiceal abscess, CT scan suggested a right colon tumor. The patient underwent a right colectomy and the histological examination of the specimen revealed colon actinomycosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Preoperative diagnosis in colon actinomycosis is difficult to achieve. Treatment of choice is antibiotics administration. A review of the possible pathogenesis and therapeutic modalities is also presented.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, GP Hospital of Piraeus Tzanion, Tzani & Afentouli str, Pireaus-Athens, Greece. d_filippou@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Filippou
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Psimitis
authors.forename: Diamanto
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zizi
authors.forename: Spiros
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rizos
mesh_terms: D000196:Actinomycosis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D000368:Aged; D003082:Colectomy; D044682:Colon, Ascending / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000601:surgery; D003108:Colonic Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007415:Intestinal Obstruction / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed