Challenge dilemma of actinomycosis in the tongue: Review and case report

Abstract

Highlights Rare presentation of actinomycosis of the tongue makes it challenge. Actinomycosis should be kept as a differential diagnosis in bewildering cases. Histopathology consider as important diagnostic aids in challenged cases. Varied clinical manifestations of the disease. Treatment should implement in harmony according to each diseases solely.

Actinomycosis of the Lower Lip: Report of a Case

“…Third, we suspect that the lesion in our patient's case was due mainly to the bacterial infection via a duct of a minor salivary gland. Dental manipulation, soft tissue injury, odontogenic infection, poor oral hygiene, diabetes, immunosuppression, malnutrition, irradiation, and neoplasm have each been associated with cervicofacial actinomycosis [ 12 ]. Dental panoramic radiography did not reveal any significant findings that would seem to be associated with our patient's lesion, whereas microscopy demonstrated a colony of basophilic club-shaped bacteria arranged in a radiating pattern surrounded within a salivary duct, with normal squamous epithelium covering them.…”

“…Consistent with these reports, in the present case, the clinician initially suspected a benign submucosal tumor rather than an infection, and a bacterial culture was not performed. Moreover, it was reported that the results of culture tests may be negative in 50% of actinomycosis cases and suggested that a culture test has no role as a diagnostic aid in tongue actinomycosis [12]. Second, no considerable advantage in prescribing antibiotics may be obtained by treating actinomycosis with a small and limited lesion.…”

Oral and Maxillo-Facial Manifestations of Systemic Diseases: An Overview

“…It is sustained by Actimomyces (mostly Actinomyces israelii or naeslundii ), a saprophytic component of the endogenous flora of the oral cavity, and is anatomically and clinically divided into three types; cervico-facial, pulmonary, and abdominal-pelvic [ 1 , 2 ]. The cervicofacial type is the most frequent and may cause, especially in immunocompromised individuals, suppurative and granulomatous inflammatory lesions, with a locally aggressive and destructive behavior [ 3 , 4 ]. Soft tissue swelling ( Figure 1 ) or osteomyelitis with pus discharge, sinus tract formation are common clinical findings, resembling the classical symptoms of abscesses, acute sialoadenitis and lymphoadenitis.…”

“…Periapical localization may look like conventional periapical lesions (granuloma, cysts) in an x-ray, but it remains essentially unresponsive to medical and instrumental treatments. Microbiological cultures and histopathology are mandatory for diagnosis of this disease which, if untreated, may develop pulmonary, intracranial and para-pharyngeal diffusion [ 3 , 4 , 5 ].…”