Asploro Journal of Biomedical and Clinical Case Reports

Asploro Journal of Biomedical and Clinical Case Reports

Claudia Moreno-Diaz^1ID, César Prócel-Ramírez^2ID, Lucy Baldeón-Rojas^3ID*
1Internal Medicine Department, Pneumology Service, Vozandes Hospital, Quito and Internal Medicine Department, Pneumology Service, Metropolitan Hospital, Quito, Ecuador
²Internal Medicine Department, Metropolitan Hospital, Quito, Ecuador
³Research Institute of Biomedicine and Faculty of Medicine, Central University of Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador

Corresponding Author: Lucy Baldeón-Rojas ^{ORCID iD}
Address: Research Institute of Biomedicine and Faculty of Medicine, Central University of Ecuador, Quito 170129, Ecuador.
Received date: 25 July 2023; Accepted date: 08 August 2023; Published date: 14 August 2023

Citation: Moreno-Diaz C, Prócel-Ramírez C, Baldeón-Rojas L. Pulmonary Actinomycosis, A Lesson Learned Story. Asp Biomed Clin Case Rep. 2023 Aug 14;6(3):201-205.

Copyright © 2023 Moreno-Diaz C, Prócel-Ramírez C, Baldeón-Rojas L. This is an open-access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium provided the original work is properly cited.

Keywords: Actinomyces, Pulmonary Actinomycosis, Lung Mass

Learning Points

• Radiologically, bacterial infections might appear as pseudotumors.
• Actinomyces spp. culture in compromised tissue is crucial for diagnosis.
• Clinical evaluation and integration of radiological information play a significant role in the presumptive diagnosis of Pulmonary Actinomycosis (PA).

Abstract

The bacteria Actinomyces spp. a gram-positive bacteria responsible for the actinomycosis disease. Its 15–20% pulmonary presentation is generally chronic, progresses slowly, and might be misinterpreted as lung cancer or other long-term conditions. We describe a man in his 60s with weight loss and dyspnea. The presence of Actinomyces spp. was identified in a bronchial biopsy of the middle lobe, ruling out lung cancer as the initial diagnostic possibility. After a month of intravenously administered antibiotic treatment, the patient experienced bronchiectasis. Pulmonary actinomycosis should be considered since it is challenging to detect and sometimes mistaken for lung neoplasia or TB due to its comparable clinical and radiographic presentations. The prognosis of pulmonary actinomycosis (PA) is favorable, and it is feasible to avoid recurring complications with the correct antibiotic treatment.