Aerobic actinomyces infection
Overview
Actinomycosis is a chronic suppurative and granulomatous disease of the cervico-facial, thoracic or abdominal areas.
Causes
The most common cause of actinomycosis is the organism Actinomyces israelii which infects both man and animals. In cattle, the disease is called "lumpy jaw" because of the huge abscess formed in the angle of the jaw. In man, A. israelii is an endogenous organism that can be isolated from the mouths of healthy people
Diagnosis
the infected patient has a tooth abscess or a tooth extraction and the endogenous organism becomes established in the traumatized tissue and causes a suppurative infection. These abscesses are not confined to the jaw and may also be found in the thoracic area and abdomen. The patient usually presents with a pus-draining lesion, so the pus will be the clinical material sent to the laboratory. This diagnosis can be made on the hospital floor