A case of pelvic actinomycosis affecting genital, urinary and digestive tracts: a rare misleading diagnosis

• Published in: Future science OA 2021-09, Vol.7 (8)
• Main Authors: Najib, Bernard, Arab, Wissam, Khazen, Joseph, Abdelkhalek, Yara, Abdallah, Wael, Khaddage, Abir, Atallah, David
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: actinomycosis; antibiotic therapy; Case Report; culture; cystectomy; intrauterine device; malignancy; pelvic; rectosigmoid; sinus tract; surgery
• ISSN: 2056-5623; 2056-5623
• DOI: 10.2144/fsoa-2021-0032

Pelvic actinomycosis is an uncommon chronic invasive disease caused by a bacteria of the Its diagnosis constitutes a clinical challenge and is usually reached in the postoperative period after resecting a pelvic mass that usually mimics advanced ovarian cancer. Although pelvic actinomyocosis involving the digestive and genital tract has been commonly described, very few reports have described cases involving both ovaries and requiring partial cystectomy for bladder involvement. Herein, we illustrate a case of pelvic actinomycosis with extensive involvement of multiple pelvic organs, misleading the surgeon into undergoing a complete clearance of the wrongfully thought adnexal malignancy. Actinomycosis is an infection that affects the genital tract and is usually related to the presence of a foreign body on which the bacteria develops and then spreads to organs of the genital, urinary and digestive system. The infection can spread through organs by destroying and infiltrating the anatomical limits between them. Physicians are prone to performing a resection of these infiltrative lesions for fear of cancer. However, the disease can be simply cured by prescribing antibiotics for a prolonged period of time. New techniques can be used to identify the germ and prevent physicians from performing unnecessary resections.