Fatally invasive actinomycosis masquerading as a tonsillar carcinoma

Background Actinomyces is a bacterial rod found in the normal oral flora. It can gain entry to the submucosa via trivial wounds and ultimately lead to slow growing lesions which may mimic cancerous lesions. Methods and Results We present the case of an elderly, immunosuppressed woman who presented w...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Head & neck 2014-12, Vol.36 (12), p.E129-E130
Main Authors: Pézier, Thomas F., Kastrinidis, Nikos, Widmer, Gian‐Marco, Huber, Gerhard F., Probst, Rudolf, Andersen, Peter
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
actinomycosis
Actinomycosis - complications
Actinomycosis - diagnosis
Aged
Carotid Artery Diseases - diagnosis
Carotid Artery Diseases - microbiology
Carotid Artery, External
carotid blowout
Diagnosis, Differential
Fatal Outcome
Female
herald bleed
Humans
immune suppression
squamous cell cancer
tonsillar cancer
Tonsillar Neoplasms - diagnosis
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Summary:Background Actinomyces is a bacterial rod found in the normal oral flora. It can gain entry to the submucosa via trivial wounds and ultimately lead to slow growing lesions which may mimic cancerous lesions. Methods and Results We present the case of an elderly, immunosuppressed woman who presented with a herald bleed from a tonsillar lesion. Despite initial operative arrest of the hemorrhage, she died of a carotid blowout. At autopsy, no sign of cancer was found, but rather an invasive actinomycosis. Conclusion Although actinomycosis of the tonsil is well known and has even been described as mimicking tonsillar cancer, this is, to our knowledge, the first report of a carotid blowout secondary to actinomycosis. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 36: E129–E130, 2014
ISSN:1043-3074
1097-0347
DOI:10.1002/hed.23659