A Case Of Pelvic Actinomycosis Complicated By Tuboovarian Abscess.

Choi, Jae Ho; Suh, Young Hoon; Kim, Su Kon; Lee, Yeon Hee; Jin, Keon; Park, Choong Hak

Case Report

Korean Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology 2002;45(8):1402-1406.
Published online August 1, 2002.

A Case Of Pelvic Actinomycosis Complicated By Tuboovarian Abscess.

Jae Ho Choi, Young Hoon Suh, Su Kon Kim, Yeon Hee Lee, Keon Jin, Choong Hak Park

¹Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, Dankook University, Cheonan, Korea.
²Department of Radiology, College of Medicine, Dankook University, Cheonan, Korea.

Abstract

Pelvic actinomycosis is a chronic suppurative and granulomatous disease with multiple abscess and draining sinus tracts caused by Actinomyces, a Gram-positive, anaerobic, non-acid-fast bacterium. Pelvic actinomycosis is a rare disease, but it is more common with intrauterine device users than others. The symptoms and signs of pelvic actinomycosis are variable, from asymptomatic to mimicking the symptoms and signs of pelvic mass or acute peritonitis, and sometimes it is difficult to discriminate pelvic malignancy from actinomycosis. Identifying the typical "sulfur granule" with hematoxylin-eosin stain and detecting the actinomycotic colony in Gram stain may suggest the diagnosis. We have experienced a case of pelvic actinomycosis complicated by right tuboovarian abscess in a 39-year-old woman using intrauterine device and report it with brief review of literatures.

Key Words: Pelvic actinomycosis, Tuboovarian abscess, Intrauterine device (IUD)