A case of pelvic and abdominal actinomycosis after hysterectomy.

Choi, Seong Eun; Kwon, Jeong Hee; Park, Sung Hea; Koh, Suk Bong

Case Report

Korean Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology 2007;50(11):1586-1590.
Published online November 1, 2007.

A case of pelvic and abdominal actinomycosis after hysterectomy.

Seong Eun Choi, Jeong Hee Kwon, Sung Hea Park, Suk Bong Koh

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Catholic University of Daegu, Daegu, Korea. sbko@cu.ac.kr

Abstract

Pelvic and abdominal actinomycosis is a chronic granulomatous supurative disease usually caused by an anaerobic Gram positive organism Actinomyces israelii. Its presentation is usually considered to be malignancy rather than an infective process and was once described as 'the most misdiagnosed disease'. They are normal commensal inhabitants of the human bronchial and gastrointestinal tracts and seem to only cause pathological infection after preceding mucosal breakdown. Infection spreads by direct extension. Hematogenous spread can occur but lymphatic spread is unknown. We experienced a pelvic and abdominal actinomycosis after total abdominal hysterectomy. This case illustrates the importance of considering the possibility of actinomycosis when we met a vague abdominal pain and mass after hysterectomy.

Key Words: Actinomycosis, Hysterectomy