Cervicofacial Actinomycosis

Cervicofacial actinomycosis is a chronic granulamatous infectious disease caused by anaerobic and microaerophilic bacteria in the oral cavity. Generally Actinomyces israeli is the most common reason. It is caused by traumas of the orofacial region, extraction of a tooth or by the way of an infected pulp cavity. The common initial symptoms of infection are sudden onset of cervicofacial pain, swelling, erythema, edema and suppuration. Rarely regional lymphadenopathy is seen. However, lymphadenopathy and abscess formation is seen due to secondary infection. Sulphur granules, biopsy regimens and pathologic investigation are the most significant factors in the diagnosis of actinomycosis. In this case the treatment of a patient with cervicofacial actinomycosis with the symptoms of severe pain and swelling in the submandibular area is reported. Human actinomycosis is caused primarily by Actinomyces israelii, bacteria of normal oral flora. Being an anaerobic grampositive, branched, filamentous bacterium, it resides as commensal in periodontal pockets and gingival crevices, in carious teeth, dental plaques, tonsillar crypts or in periodontium. Open wound, like dental extraction and trauma, facilitates the penetration. It is the most isolated one but not the sole causative agent of the disease. It has been described that the Actinomyces requires the presence of other types of bacteria in order to proliferate. Cervicofacial actinomycosis: a case report: Muharrem Guvercin, Gokhan Gurler, Ozgen Goktay, Tanju Kadir, Bahar Gursoy

• Share this page
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Last date updated on September, 2024