title: [Actinomyces empyema treated with decortications].
abstract: Actinomyces infections are rare infections, involving the head and neck, abdominal cavity, and the lung. We report a case of a 66 year old woman with shortness of breath and a pleural effusion from which Actinomyces meyeriwas cultured. The diagnosis was confirmed by the polymerase chain reaction technique. The infection was successfully treated with a combination of ampicillin and surgical decortication. Due to their rarity, Actinomyces infections are not often suspected. These infections are difficult to diagnose due to specific microbiologic requirements for isolation of Actinomyces. In many reviewed cases of Actinomyces infection, patients underwent surgery for presumed cancer but were eventually diagnosed as being infected with actinomycosis. Due to lack of improvement of our patient, surgical decortication was performed, which led to a successful outcome.
authors.affiliation: Pulmonary Unit, Carmel Medical Center, Haifa, Israel. michaldan@bezeqint.net
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shteinberg
authors.forename: Shoshan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Perek
authors.forename: Nesrin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ghanem
authors.forename: Israel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sarafov
authors.forename: Yury
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Peysakhovich
authors.forename: Yochai
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Adir
mesh_terms: D000190:Actinomyces / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000196:Actinomycosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy*; D000368:Aged; D000667:Ampicillin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D016724:Empyema, Pleural / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000667:Ampicillin