Primary cutaneous actinomycosis: A rare soft tissue infection

Abstract

Actinomycosis caused by Actinomyces spp. is a chronic and suppurative infection caused by an endogenous gram positive bacterium. The unusual sites of infection are the head and neck, thorax and abdomen and are almost always endogenous in origin. Primary cutaneous actinomycosis is very rare and is usually associated with external trauma and local ischemia. We report a case of a primary cutaneous actinomycosis of the thigh in a 30-year-old man. The patient acquired the infection through an injection wound which progressed to multiple discharging sinuses. Clinical material from the wound demonstrated the presence of www.ijmm.org Actinomyces in smears and cultures. The patient was diagnosed and successfully treated with surgical resection and combined antibiotic therapy.

Primary cutaneous actinomycosis caused by Actinomyces bovis in a patient with common variable immunodeficiency

“…Men are affected more commonly than women, with the exception of pelvic actinomycosis. The reported male‐to‐female ratio is 3:1 3 …”

“…Cutaneous actinomycosis manifesting with nodular lesion tends to form fistulae and needs to be differentiated clinically from the other chronic inflammatory skin diseases, such as cutaneous tuberculosis, sporotrichosis and nocardiosis 3 …”

“…Primary actinomycosis of the extremities is rare because of the exclusively endogenous habitat of the etiological organism 3 . In 2005, a case of PCA of the lower extremity due to A. israelii was reported in Iran 16…”

“…Actinomycosis is a rare granulomatous suppurative infection caused by anaerobic or microaerophilic Gram‐positive bacteria, primarily of the genus Actinomyces 1–3 …”

A rare case of cutaneous actinomycosis

“…The reason behind this is the exclusively endogenous inhabitation of the etiological organism. [23] Cutaneous actinomycosis manifesting with nodular lesions that tend to form a fistula need to be differentiated clinically from other chronic inflammatory skin diseases such as cutaneous tuberculosis, sporotrichosis, and nocardiosis. [2] Histopathological examination is important to confirm the pathology by demonstrating the presence of organism and other inflammatory changes.…”