Skip to main content
Log in

Pulmonary actinomycosis: a case undergoing resection through video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS)

  • Case Report
  • Published:
Journal of Zhejiang University SCIENCE B Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Actinomycosis is an uncommon disease, which is usually manifested as cervicofacial infection and related to poor oral hygiene or compromised immune function. Pulmonary actinomycosis is rare, but its diagnosis is changing due to its variable presentation and the similarity in appearance to other intrapulmonary diseases. Here we report an 80-year-old man with a solitary pulmonary nodule over the left upper lobe. Pulmonary neoplasm was highly suspected in this patient and thus resection of the mass was undertaken through video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS). Histopathological examination demonstrated this patient had an Actinomyeces infection. While the application of VATS in patients with pulmonary actinomycosis has rarely been reported in literature, we conclude that VATS is valuable for the diagnosis and treatment of patients with undetermined pulmonary nodule(s).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Allen, H.A.III, Scatarige, J.C., Kim, M.H., 1987. Actinomycosis: CT findings in six patients. AJR, 149(6): 1255–1258.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ariel, I., Breuer, R., Kamal, N.S., Ben-Dov, I., Mogle, P., Rosenmann, E., 1991. Endobronchial actinomycosis simulating bronchogenic carcinoma: diagnosis by biopsy. Chest, 99(2):493–495.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bennhoff, D.F., 1984. Actinomycosis: diagnostic and therapeutic considerations and review of 32 cases. Laryngoscope, 94(9):1198–1217. [doi:10.1288/00005537-1984 09000-00013]

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brown, J.R., 1973. Human actinomycosis. A study of 181 subjects. Human Pathol., 4(3):319–330.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Conant, E.F., Wechsler, R.J., 1992. Actinomycosis and nocardiosis of the lung. J. Thorac. Imaging, 7(4):75–84. [doi:10.1097/00005382-199209000-00010]

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Das, D.K., 1994. Actinomycosis in fine needle aspiration cytology. Cytopathology, 5(4):243–250. [doi:10.1111/j.1365-2303.1994.tb00426.x]

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Flynn, M.W., Felson, B., 1970. The roentgen manifestations of thoracic actinomycosis. AJR, 110(4):707–716.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Heffner, J.E., 1988. Pleuropulmonary manifestations of actinomycosis and nocardiosis. Semin. Respir. Infect., 3(4): 352–361.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hoekstra, C.J., Hoekstra, O.S., Teengs, J.P., Postmus, P.E., Smit, E.F., 1999. Thoracic actinomycosis imaging with fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography. Clin. Nucl. Med., 24(7):529–530. [doi:10.1097/00003072-199907000-00016]

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Holm, P., 1950. Studies on the aetiology of human actinomycosis. I. The “other” microbes of actinomycosis and their importance. Acta Pathol. Microbiol. Scand., 27(3):736.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kakuda, J., Omari, B., Renslo, R., Scott, R., Baumgartner, F., 1997. CT guided needle localization for video-thoracoscopic resection of pulmonary nodules. Eur. J. Med. Res., 2(8):340–342.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kinnear, W.J., MacFarlane, J.T., 1990. A survey of thoracic actinomycosis. Respir. Med., 84(1):57–59.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Klapholz, A., Talavera, W., Rorat, E., Salsitz, E., Widrow, C., 1989. Pulmonary actinomycosis and human immunodeficiency virus infection. Mt. Sinai. J. Med., 56(4):300–303.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kobashi, Y., Yoshida, K., Miyashita, N., Niki, Y., Matsushima, T., 2004. Thoracic actinomycosis with mainly pleural involvement. J. Infect. Chemother., 10(3):172–177. [doi:10.1007/s10156-004-0310-x]

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lippes, J., 1999. Pelvic actinomycosis: a review and preliminary look at prevalence. Am. J. Obstet. Gynaecol., 180(2):265–269. [doi:10.1016/S0002-9378(99)70198-5]

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Luh, S.P., Liu, H.P., 2006. Video-assisted thoracic surgery. The past, present status, and the future. J. Zhejiang Univ. Sci. B, 7(2):118–128. [doi:10.1631/jzus.2006.B0118]

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mabeza, G.F., MacFarlane, J., 2003. Pulmonary actinomycosis. Eur. Respir. J., 21(3):545–551.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Miller, M., Haddad, A.J., 1998. Cervicofacial actinomycosis. Oral Surg. Oral Med. Oral Path. Oral Radiol. Endod., 85(5):496–508. [doi:10.1016/S1079-2104(98)90280-3]

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Moore, W.R., Scannell, J.G., 1968. Pulmonary actinomycosis simulating cancer of the lung. J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg., 55(2):193–195.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reichel, R., Wragg, P., 2007. Isolation of actinomyces hyovaginalis from a lung lesion in a pig. Vet. Rec., 10(6):203.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rippon, J.W., 1988. Medical Mycology. In: Wonsiewicz, M.J. (Ed.), The Pathogenic Fungi and the Pathogenic Actinomycetes, 3rd Ed. W.B. Saunders Co., Philadelphia, p.30–52.

    Google Scholar 

  • Russo, T.A., 1995. Agents of Actinomycosis. In: Mandell, G.L. (Ed.), Principles and Practice of Infectious Disease, 5th Ed. Churchill Livingstone, New York, p.2645–2654.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schaal, K.P., Lee, H., 1992. Actinomycete infections in human—a review. Gene, 115(1–2):201–211. [doi:10.1016/0378-1119(92)90560-C]

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Slade, P.R., Slesser, B.V., Southgate, J., 1973. Thoracic actinomycosis. Thorax, 28(1):73–85.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Smego, R.A., Foglia, G., 1998. Actinomycosis. Clin. Infect. Dis., 26(6):1255–1261 (quiz in p.1262–1263).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Weese, W.C., Smith, I.M., 1975. A study of 57 cases of actinomycosis over a 36-year period. Arch. Intern. Med., 135(12):1562–1568. [doi:10.1001/archinte.135.12.1562]

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wong, R.H., Sihoe, A.D., Thung, K.H., Wan, I.Y., Ip, M.B., Yim, A.P., 2004. Actinomycosis: an often forgotten diagnosis. Asian Cardiovasc. Thorac. Ann., 12(2):165–167.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Yew, W.W., Wong, P.C., Lee, J., Fung, S.L., Wong, C.F., Chan, C.Y., 1999. Report of eight cases of pulmonary actinomycosis and their treatment with imipenemcilastatin. Monaldi. Arch. Chest. Dis., 54(2):126–129.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Luh Shi-ping.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Lin, Ms., Lin, Wl., Luh, Sp. et al. Pulmonary actinomycosis: a case undergoing resection through video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS). J. Zhejiang Univ. - Sci. B 8, 721–724 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1631/jzus.2007.B0721

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1631/jzus.2007.B0721

Key words

CLC number

Navigation