Year: 2021
Type: article
Study design: Case Report
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Actinomycosis is a rare infectious disease caused by Actinomyces, especially in children. Here, we present a case of musculoskeletal actinomycosis in a 5-year-old girl from China. CASE PRESENTATION: A 5-year-old girl presented with recurrent episodes of fever, pain, erythema, swelling, and festering sores on the right lower extremity, and pus was discharged from a sinus in the right foot. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) suggested subcutaneous soft tissue infection and osteomyelitis of the right crus. A bacterial culture of pus extracted from a festering sore on the right popliteal fossa detected the growth of Actinomycetes europaeus. The patient was cured with 7 weeks of treatment with intravenous ampicillin-sulbactam, followed by 6 weeks of treatment with oral amoxicillin-clavulanate with surgical debridement and drainage. There were no symptoms of recurrence during the 15-month period of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Pediatric actinomycosis is a rare and challenging infectious disease. Early accurate diagnosis and optimal surgical debridement are important for the management of pediatric actinomycosis.
Source: BMC Infectious Diseases
Authors: Yani Mou, Qin Jiao, Yizhong Wang, Xiaolu Li, Yongmei Xiao, Lihua Zhao, Ting Zhang
Institutions: Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai Children's Hospital
Language: English
Subfield: Microbiology (medical)
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,380
OpenAlex ID: W4200340456