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Published 16 February 2009
Cite this as: BMJ Case Reports 2009 [doi:10.1136/bcr.07.2008.0374]
Copyright © 2009 by the BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.

Reminder of important clinical lesson

Pulmonary actinomycosis: the great masquerader

Hussam Elkambergy1, Farzan Irani1, Kelechi Okoli1, Raheel Jamal2

1 St Vincent Mercy Medical Center, Internal Medicine, Toledo, Ohio, 43608, USA
2 St Vincent Mercy Medical Center, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Toledo, Ohio, 43608, USA

Correspondence to:
kambergy{at}doctors.org.uk

SUMMARY

Actinomycosis is a rare but treatable disease. Thoracic manifestations are varied and can mimic malignancy or tuberculosis. We report the case of a 54-year-old man who presented with a persistent cough and radiological evidence of right upper lobe lung mass. Conventional computed tomography guided biopsy and bronchoscopy proved to be non-diagnostic. Thoracotomy and histopathologic examination of the tissue confirmed actinomycosis infection. Excellent clinical and radiologic responses were noted following treatment with penicillin V. Despite a high clinical suspicion, the diagnosis can prove to be challenging.


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