Human Cervicofacial Actinomycoses: Microbiological Data for 1997 Cases

Abstract

Actinomycoses are sporadically occurring endogenous polymicrobial inflammatory processes, in which fermentative actinomycetes of the genera Actinomyces, Propionibacterium, or Bifidobacterium act as the principal pathogens. Difficulties in diagnosing the disease in a timely and reliable fashion have led clinicians and microbiologists to grossly underestimate its medical importance. Therefore, we evaluated microbiological and selected clinical data derived from 1997 culture-positive cases of human cervicofacial actinomycoses examined in our laboratories during 1972-1999. The causative actinomycetes belonged to at least 9 different species, among which Actinomyces israelii and Actinomyces gerencseriae predominated. The well-known predisposition of male patients to acquire the disease varied with age and appeared to be especially pronounced in patients aged 20-60 years, the highest incidence being found in female patients aged 11-40 years and in male patients aged 21-50 years. The relevant procedures necessary for diagnosing human actinomycoses reliably, as well as details of their complex etiology, are discussed.

Bifidobacterial Lipoglycan as a New Cause for False-Positive Platelia Aspergillus Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay Reactivity

“…The frequent isolation of bifidobacteria from clinical infections in recent years has raised debate whether the bacteria are actually infective (3,17,36). However, even if there's a lack of pathogenicity in immunocompromised patients (3), bifidobacteria can invade the host by bacterial translocation (17).…”

Oral manifestation araising in actinomycosis

“…[11][16] [14]. Most cases of actinomycosis are thought to be caused by people accidentally inhaling droplets of contaminated fluid into their lungs [5][7] [8]. It can develop as a secondary complication of a more common infection, such as appendicitis, or after accidentally swallowing a foreign object, such as a chicken bone.…”

“…Symptoms of actinomycosis vary depending on the type of infection, but can include, swelling and inflammation of affected tissue, tissue damage that results in scar tissue, formation of abscesses (pus-filled swellings) small holes or tunnels that develop in tissue and leak a type of lumpy pus. The diagnosis of actinomycosis can be a difficult one to make [5][6] [8].…”

Unusual acne conglobata case mimicking cervicofacial actinomycosis: A case report with literature review

“…These are higher prokaryotic bacteria belonging to the family Actinomyceataceae. The most frequent pathogen species encountered is Actinomyces israelii [1] but many different species have been described and are associated with pathogenic conditions specific to anatomical sites [2,3]. Based on the site affected, actinomycosis is clinically classified into cervicofacial, pulmonothoracic and abdominocervical forms, of which the most common form is cervicofacial.…”