title: A thoracic mass infiltrating the chest wall.
abstract: A case of thoracic mass infiltrating the chest wall mimicking a pulmonary invasive neoplasm is reported. Differential diagnosis and characteristic radiological and histological imaging had a decisive role in the case management. Actinomycosis is caused by a gram-positive, filamentous, microaerophilic bacteria. About 15% of the infections caused by Actinomyces involve the thorax. If not promptly diagnosed and treated thoracic actinomycosis may determine contiguous and systemic involvement. Actinomycosis is an anaerobic-to-microaerophilic bacteria and direct identification and isolation are difficult to obtain. In depth discussion diagnostic and therapeutic features are described in this report.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular and Respiratory Sciences, Respiratory Diseases Unit, Sapienza University of Rome, Fondazione E. Lorillard Spencer Cenci, Rome, Italy. angelo.petroianni@uniroma1.it
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Petroianni
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Conti
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Terzano
mesh_terms: D000196:Actinomycosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001706:Biopsy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010406:Penicillins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013896:Thoracic Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D010406:Penicillins