What is Actinomycosis?
Actinomycosis is a rare but serious infection that commonly occurs in the head and neck area. It is caused by a number of different bacteria called actinomycetes. Actinomycetes are commonly found in the cheeks and mouth, but they do not cause infection unless they enter the body through broken skin or the mucous tissues. Actinomycosis can also occur in the abdomen if it is ingested with food. It can also infect the chest and lungs if it is inhaled through the mouth or nose. Although actinomycosis is a rare infection, it is still common in tropical countries. Actinomycosis first appears as a hard area or lump of tissue. The muscles around the area may become tight. An abscess forms underneath the lump due to the build up of pus. The tissue surrounding the lump swells, and pus begins to leak through small passages called sinuses onto the skin’s surface. These abscesses most commonly appear around the jaw area. They can also appear on the mouth, chest and abdomen. Because they are most co
• Actinomycosis: An infection that results from the bacteria sp. Actinomyces. • Actinomycosis: Infections with bacteria of the genus ACTINOMYCES. Source – Diseases Database Actinomycosis is listed as a “rare disease” by the Office of Rare Diseases (ORD) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This means that Actinomycosis, or a subtype of Actinomycosis, affects less than 200,000 people in the US population.
Actinomycosis is a chronic, non contagious bacterial infection, commonly of the face and neck, that produces abscesses (collections of pus) and open-draining sinuses (tracts in the skin). It is an infectious disease caused predominantly by a bacterium called Actinomyces israelii (A.israelii) in humans and by A. bovis in cattle. There are lab tests to differentiate actinomyces in pus or tissue specimens. A sample of the pus is tested to show whether there are any yellow sulphur granules in the fluid, and to find if the actinomyces species of bacteria are present. A biopsy may be done to remove a sample of the infected tissue. Actinomycosis in the lungs, abdomen, pelvis, or brain can be very hard to diagnose since the symptoms often similar to those of other diseases. Actinomycosis of the lungs or abdomen can resemble tuberculosis or cancer. Diagnostic x-ray results, the presence of draining sinus tracts, and microscopic analysis and culturing of infected tissue are some kinds of diagnos
