Thoracic actinomycosis in a child : a rare occurrence

Abstract EN

This is to report a nine-year-old female patient who presented with dry cough and a chest mass on the left upper anterior chest wall.

The mass was noticed two months earlier and was slowly growing.

The family sought medical advice.

A fine needle aspiration biopsy cytology revealed an inflammatory pseudo-tumor, and an incisional biopsy revealed the diagnosis of actinomycosis.

The patient was treated with a high dose of penicillin for three months and was cured.

The patient remained free from disease clinically and on chest rays nine months later.

This is a rare childhood infection with unusual presentation, which responded dramatically to non-operative medical therapy.

Therefore, we feel it is worth reporting.