title: Actinomyces israelii may produce vulvar lesions suspicious for malignancy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We present a case of Actinomyces israelii causing vulvar mass suspicious for malignancy in a postmenopausal woman.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 60 year-old woman presented due to a firm, nonmobile, 10 cm vulvar mass, which had been rapidly enlarging for 5 months. The mass was painful, with localized pruritus and sinus tracts oozing of serosanguinous fluid. Biopsy and cultures revealed a ruptured epidermal inclusion cyst containing granulation tissue and Actinomyces israelii.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Actinomyces israelii may produce vulvar lesions that are suspicious for malignancy. Thus, biopsies and cultures are both mandatory while evaluating vulvar masses suspicious for malignancy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: McElroy
authors.forename: Marsha E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Gorens
authors.forename: Lisa N
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: Danielle
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stigger
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: Eyal
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sheiner
mesh_terms: D000190:Actinomyces / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D000196:Actinomycosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004814:Epidermal Cyst / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D014845:Vulvar Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D014846:Vulvar Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology