An unusual cause of a frozen pelvis. Diagnosis: actinomycosis

Pelvic actinomycosis presenting with a large abscess and bowel stenosis with marked response to conservative treatment: a case report

Pelvic actinomycosis is a rare disease that can result in abscess formation, bowel obstruction, and other serious complications. Moreover, the correct diagnosis can seldom be established before radical surgery because the disease often mimics pelvic neoplasms. It has been recently recognized that pelvic actinomycosis is associated with long-term use of an intrauterine contraceptive device.

We report a woman with a long-standing intrauterine contraceptive device who visited our hospital complaining of symptoms mimicking large bowel ileus with a subacute course. X-ray fluorography and sigmoidoscopy showed marked stenosis in the sigmoid colon but rejected the possibility of colon cancers. Abdomino-pelvic CT and MRI revealed a huge abscess lying over the urinary bladder and anterior to the uterus. Furthermore, a cervical Papanicolaou smear disclosed Actinomyces species. We removed the intrauterine device from the patient. Subsequent high-dose ampicillin administration led to dramatic shrinkage of the abscess and improved the management of the bowel movement quickly. This is a successful case of symptomatic pelvic actinomycosis that was correctly diagnosed and treated without unnecessary surgical intervention.

Histological and ultrastructural features of gastrointestinal basidiobolomycosis

Basidiobolus ranarum is a fungus found in the dung of amphibians, reptiles, and insectivorous bats. Its structural elements include both hyphae and zygospores. Patients with B. ranarum infection may present with subcutaneous, gastrointestinal, or systemic lesions. Here we report a case of gastrointesinal badidiomycosis in a 13-year-old male child who presented with acute abdomen. Exploration revealed a mass in the ascending colon. On histology, transmural granulomatous inflammation composed of abundant eosinophils, lymphocytes, histiocytes and giant cells was seen. Histochemical stains revealed broad, non-septate, hyphae-like structures surrounded by an eosinophilic sheath. On an ultrastructural level, fungal hyphae, spores, and macrophage-laden crystalloids were observed. The diagnosis of gastrointestinal basidiobolomycosis was established and the patient received antifungal treatment. This paper reviews the relevant literature regarding basidiomycosis, and discusses its diverse clinicopathological features, as well as distinguishing it from other diseases.