title: Post varicella hepatic actinomycosis in a 5-year-old girl mimicking acute abdomen.
abstract: Actinomycosis is an indolent, slowly progressive infection caused by gram-positive, anaerobic or microaerophilic bacteria. Hepatic involvement is rare and generally secondary to abdominal or thoracic actinomycosis. Hepatic actinomycosis in children may mimic a wide variety of diseases and thus make the diagnosis much more challenging. Here, we report a 5-year-old girl with apparently primary hepatic actinomycosis mimicking acute abdomen 2 weeks after varicella. The diagnosis was made by ultrasonic guided fine needle aspiration biopsy of a hypoechoic lesion of 3.5 cm diameter in the liver showing sulfur granules surrounded by neutrophils. Hepatic actinomycosis should be taken into account when evaluating acute abdomen symptoms in children.
authors: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Etlik/Ankara, 06017, Turkey. drahmetguven@yahoo.com
authors: Ahmet
authors: A
authors: Guven
authors: Vural
authors: V
authors: Kesik
authors: M Salih
authors: MS
authors: Deveci
authors: M Sahin
authors: MS
authors: Ugurel
authors: Haluk
authors: H
authors: Ozturk
authors: Vedat
authors: V
authors: Koseoglu
mesh_terms: D000006:Abdomen, Acute / Q000175:diagnosis*; D000196:Actinomycosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D002644:Chickenpox / Q000150:complications*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014463:Ultrasonography