Actinomycotic liver abscess. Case report and review of the literature.

Actinomycosis is a chronic suppurative, granulomatous disease, which is characterized clinically by extensive necrosis and abscess formation, and histologically by the presence of the so-called "sulphur granules". Actinomycosis is generally classified as being of cervicofacial, thoracic or abdominal type. The objective of this study is the presentation of a case of actinomycotic liver abscess that we encountered in our department 5 years ago, along with a brief review of this rare disease. A 39-year-old male non-Greek Caucasian patient presented with high fever, malaise, anorexia, vomiting after food ingestion and right upper quadrant pain. Leucocytosis with a left shift was present, and ultrasonography demonstrated a mass of mixed composition in the anterior part of the right hepatic lobe, measuring 6.8 x 4.6 cm, suggestive of an abscess or haemangioma. MRI scan confirmed the presence of a space-occupying lesion, suggestive of an abscess. The patient was submitted to surgical drainage of the hepatic abscess. The culture of the purulent material was found to be sterile, while the histochemical examination of the specimen demonstrated the presence of actinomycosis. The patient had an uneventful postoperative course and after discharge received prolonged chemoprophylaxis. Actinomycotic liver abscess is a very rare clinical entity, and only 57 cases have been reported in the English literature. Due to the rarity of the disease and the limited number of reported cases, we considered it useful to report this case.