title: Isolated hepatic actinomycosis: a case report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Actinomyces are slow growing, non-spore forming, gram-positive, branching bacilli that thrive in anaerobic and microareophilic conditions. Actinomyces are more commonly associated with oral and cervicofacial infections. Hepatic involvement in infections of the abdomen (known as isolated hepatic actinomycosis) is rare, accounting for only 5% of all cases of actinomycosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  We present the case of a 75-year-old Caucasian woman with a 3-month history of night sweats, fever, chills, abdominal bloating, anorexia, weight-loss, and early satiety. The patient was found to have isolated hepatic actinomycosis infection after undergoing a laparotomy with a biopsy of the liver. The patient has now recovered.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Isolated hepatic actinomycosis is a rare and often overlooked etiology for a liver mass. Given its subacute presentation and nondescript symptomatology, physicians should be aware of this differential and the potential pitfalls in diagnosis and management.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Saint Joseph Mercy Hospital, 5301 McAuley Drive, Ypsilanti, Michigan, MI 48197, USA. shehabt@trinity-health.org.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lall
authors.forename: Thomas M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Shehab
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Valenstein