title: Pulmonary actinomycosis presenting as post-obstructive pneumonia.
abstract: Actinomycosis is a chronic suppurative infection caused by filamentous Gram-positive bacilli, leading to a purulent discharge due to sulfur granule formation. Thoracic actinomycosis represents around 20% of Actinomyces infections, with endobronchial involvement being fairly uncommon. Pulmonary actinomycosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of non-resolving lobar pneumonia or a lobar mass suspicious for malignancy on endobronchial biopsy. A case of endobronchial actinomycosis presenting as post-obstructive pneumonia and mimicking right upper lobe endobronchial carcinoma, which was associated with foreign body aspiration, is reported here.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, 1120W. Michigan St. CL 626, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA. Electronic address: kkassab@iu.edu.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kassab
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karnib
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Bou-Khalil
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Bizri
mesh_terms: D000196:Actinomycosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001706:Biopsy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology; D008173:Lung Diseases, Obstructive / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
keywords: Actinomycosis; Bronchoscopy; Endobronchial