[Actinomycosis of the colon as a rare differential diagnosis of colonic carcinoma]

Pseudotumoral Actinomycosis Mimicking Malignant Colic Disease: A Case Report and Literature Review

Abdominal actinomycosis is a rare, chronic, and often unrecognized suppurative disease. It is caused by an anaerobic gram-positive bacterium, most commonly Actinomyces israeli. Colonic actinomycosis is rarely reported and may be responsible for a pseudotumoral syndrome leading, in the suspicion of malignancy, to a large and mutilating excisional surgery. It is usually the histopathological examination of the surgical specimens that accurately corrects the diagnosis. Here, we report a rare case of a colic actinomycotic involvement taking a pseudotumoral form. The diagnosis was made based on the pathological examination of the surgical piece. Intravenous and then adjuvant oral penicillin G treatment has allowed a favorable clinical evolution. This observation illustrates the preoperative diagnostic difficulties of this rare disease.

Clinical features of abdominal actinomycosis: a 15-year experience of a single institute

This study was designed to evaluate the clinical features of abdominal actinomycosis and to assess its therapeutic outcome. We reviewed patients with abdominal actinomycosis in Seoul St. Mary hospital, between January 1994 and January 2010. Twenty-three patients (5 male and 18 female, mean age, 47.8 yr; range, 6-75 yr), with abdominal actinomycosis were included. Emergency surgery was performed in 50% due to symptoms of peritonitis. The common presentation on preoperative computerized tomography was a mass with abscess, mimicking malignancy. The mean tumor size was 7.0 cm (range, 2.5-10.5). In all patients, actinomycotic masses were surgically removed. Mean duration of hospital stay was 17.8 days (range, 5-49). Long term oral antibiotic treatment (mean 4.2 months; range, 0.5-7.0 months) were administered to all patients. All patients were free of recurrence after a median follow up of 30.0 months (mean 35.5 ± 14.8 months, range, 10.0-70.0 months); recurrence was not seen in any patient. In conclusion, abdominal actinomycosis should be included as a differential diagnosis when an unusual abdominal mass or abscess presents on abdominal CT. Assertive removal of necrotic tissue with surgical drainage and long term antibiotic treatment provide a good prognosis in patients with actinomycosis.

Clinical features of abdominopelvic actinomycosis: report of twenty cases and literature review

PURPOSE

Intrabdominal actinomycosis is difficult to diagnose preoperatively. This chronic infection has a propensity to mimic many other diseases and may present with a wide variety of symptoms. The aim of this study was to evaluate the characteristic clinical features with review of the literature.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed 22 patients with intrabdominal actinomycosis between January 2000 and January 2006.

RESULTS

There were two men and 20 women with a mean age of 42.8 years (range, 24-69). Twelve patients presented with masses or abdominal pain, whereas 3 patients presented with acute appendicitis. The rate of performing an emergency surgery was 50% due to symptoms of peritonitis. The mean size of tumor was 5.5 cm (range, 2.5-11.0). Sixty percent (n = 12) of female patients had intrauterine device (IUD). The average time to definite diagnosis was 10.6 days.

CONCLUSION

Intrabdominal abdominal actinomycosis must first be suspected in any women with a history of current or recent IUD use who presents abdominal pain. If recognized preoperatively, a limited surgical procedure, may spare the patient from an extensive operation.

Abdominal actinomycosis: a rare complication after laparoscopic gastric bypass

A 33-year-old, morbidity obese woman underwent a laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass in November 2004. She presented 18 months later with a history of recurrent pain in the upper region of the abdomen and severe vomiting. Radiologic and endoscopic evaluations revealed wall thickening in the transverse colon and a solid tumor near the liver. Therefore, a sonography-guided biopsy of the tumor was performed. Cytopathological examination revealed actinomycosis. Thus, therapy with penicillin was started, after which the parameters associated with the infection decreased. The symptoms persisted, however, and the decision was made to operate on the patient to resect the abdominal masses. Nearly 90% of the masses could be removed. Histological analysis showed a fibro-productive inflammation with an actinomycotic etiology. Antibiotic therapy with penicillin was continued for 6 months. Actinomycosis must be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients with abdominal mass, wall thickening of the intestine, and other such symptoms, including abdominal pain following bariatric surgery, even many years after the intervention.

Actinomycose colique : à propos d’un cas et revue de la littérature

Actinomycosis is a chronic granulomatosis infection caused by a Gram positive anaerobic bacteria, Actinomyces. Abdominal localizations are rare and simulated a malignant process. The difficulties of diagnosis are usually leading to surgical resection. We report a colonic actinomycosis case of a 62-year-old woman with a abdominal tumor and diagnosed after surgical resection.

Abdominal actinomycosis

Intra-abdominal and extraperitoneal actinomycosis are rare infections, caused by different Actinomyces species. However, they have been diagnosed more frequently in the last ten years. We report three cases of abdominal actinomycosis and a literature review of the last eight years. All three patients were diagnosed by means of histopathologic examination only. In one case, an intrauterine device (IUD) was associated with the infection. Therapy consisted of surgical resection of the inflammatory, infected tissue, and long-term antibiotic therapy. All patients are free of recurrence. Abdominal actinomycosis should be included in the differential diagnosis of an abdominal pathology of insidious onset, especially when an IUD is in place. Even when infection had spread extensively, combined operative and antibiotic therapy cured most of the cases.