title: Nasal actinomycosis mimicking a foreign body.
abstract: Nasal actinomycosis is a rare disease. We present a case of nasal actinomycosis causing symptoms similar to those of a nasal foreign body. A 34-year-old woman presented with a long history of halitosis and unilateral offensive, purulent rhinorrhea. Rigid nasendoscopy showed a hard, dark gray mass between the middle and inferior turbinates. Computed tomography findings were typical of a nasal foreign body. Endoscopic removal of the mass was performed, and histopathology established a diagnosis of actinomycosis. We suggest that every clinician confronted with unilateral nasal symptoms and/or signs should have this clinical entity in mind, since it has justifiably been characterized as the head and neck "mimic."
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, General Hospital of Larissa, Greece.
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Batzakakis
authors.forename: Petros D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Karkos
authors.forename: Sotirios
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Papouliakos
authors.forename: Samuel C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Leong
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bardanis
mesh_terms: D000196:Actinomycosis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D000328:Adult; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004724:Endoscopy; D005260:Female; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D015508:Nasal Obstruction / Q000209:etiology; D009668:Nose Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*