Abdominal Actinomycosis—an Interesting Case

Abstract

Actinomyces are part of normal oral flora and cause disease only when the normal mucosal barrier is breached. Reported annual incidence of actinomycosis is 1 case per 300,000 persons (Weese and Smith, Arch Intern Med 135:1562-1568, 1975). Preoperative diagnosis of abdominal actinomycosis is difficult. An accurate diagnosis is always obtained by histological examination and often requires surgical resection. This case of mesenteric panniculitis due to fish bone penetrating the gut wall and lodging in the omentum has been taken for its rare presentation.