Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Case Report
Abstract: Pulmonary actinomycosis is a rare chronic granulomatous infection with non-specific clinical and imaging manifestations, often misdiagnosed as lung cancer. We present the case of an elderly male smoker with two pulmonary space-occupying lesions on the left and right sides, respectively, both showing hypermetabolism on positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET/CT). The CT-guided lung biopsy of the left mass confirmed pulmonary actinomycosis. After treatment with penicillin for 1 month, the left lung mass got resolved significantly, while the right lung nodule increased during this period. Subsequently, the right nodule was diagnosed as small cell lung cancer via the endoscopic ultrasonography combined with LungPro navigation-guided transbronchoscopic lung biopsy and underwent thoracoscopic resection. The coexistence of pulmonary actinomycosis and lung cancer is extremely rare. This case underscores the importance of thorough diagnostic evaluation and careful differentiation between infectious and neoplastic pulmonary conditions to ensure appropriate management.
Source: Frontiers in Medicine
Institutions: Peking University Third Hospital, Peking University
Language: English
Subfield: Microbiology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,801
Award: G4187038720
OpenAlex ID: W4415001867