Abdominal actinomycosis simulating a parietal tumor

Abstract

Abdominal actinomycosis is a rare, little-known infectious, granulomatous suppurative disease due to Actinomyces israelii. The symptomatology is aspecific apart from the presence of an infiltrating abdominal pseudotumor mass.  We report the case of a 60-year-old woman with an infiltrating mass of the left anterolateral abdominal wall muscles. The surgical treatment consisted of a wide excision of the muscles of the left anterolateral wall of the abdomen. The diagnosis of actinomycosis was made only after histological examination of the surgical specimen.

Conclusion: Actinomycosis is a rare disease. Its diagnosis must be evoked in front of any infiltrating abdominal mass of neoplastic appearance.