Patient with actinomycosis of the cervicofacial and abdominal area, case report.

Abstract

Actinomycosis is a very rare, infectious disease, which is especially difficult to diagnose due to non-specific symptoms and the ability to emulate neoplasms or inflammatory changes. Due to those facts, it is often misdiagnosed or diagnosed too late to be successfully treated. This article presents the case of 31-year-old Caucasian female with recurrent upper respiratory tract infections and tonsillitis as the potential risk factors of actinomycosis. Upon examination of material collected through the course of tonsillectomy, the patient was diagnosed with actinomycosis of the left palatine tonsil. Despite the introduction of antibiotic therapy, initial progression was noted with the appearance of numerous, hypodense changes in the liver and the spleen, which regressed during further antibiotic treatment. According to our team's knowledge, this is the first described case of a patient with actinomycosis occurring simultaneously in the cervico-facial and abdominal area. The unusual localization and potential dissemination of actinomycosis should be considered in clinical practice.