title: Cervical spinal cord compression in a child with cervicofacial actinomycosis.
abstract: Actinomycosis is a rare, chronic, suppurative, and slowly progressive granulomatous disease caused by a group of filamentous gram-positive anaerobic bacteria belonging to the normal flora of the oral cavity, gastrointestinal, and genitourinary tracts. It may involve several organs; however, spinal cord compression has rarely been reported. We report a 7-year-3-month-old girl who suffered from neck pain with restricted movement, poor appetite, body weight loss, mild right limbs weakness, and a non-tender neck mass. Histopathology of the neck mass revealed sulfur granules of actinomyces. Since actinomycosis was strongly suspected, she was treated with high dose of parenteral penicillin G followed by oral penicillin with complete recovery. The unusual features of our case suggested that actinomycosis should be considered as a differential diagnosis of neck mass and cervical spinal cord compression.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Neurology, Chang Gung Children's Hospital, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University, College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan, ROC. Electronic address: h2918@cgmh.org.tw.
authors.forename: Po-Cheng
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Hung
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Neurology, Chang Gung Children's Hospital, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University, College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Huei-Shyong
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Infection, Chang Gung Children's Hospital, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University, College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Cheng-Hsun
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.affiliation: Division of Neuroradiology, Chang Gung Children's Hospital, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University, College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Alex M-C
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Wong
mesh_terms: D000197:Actinomycosis, Cervicofacial / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D066193:Cervical Cord / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D013117:Spinal Cord Compression / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*
keywords: Actinomycosis; Child; Compression; Spinal cord