Help the development of the site, sharing the article with friends!
Actinomycosis, or actinomycosis, is a bacterial disease. Its name comes from the radiating filaments of the bacteria that cause the infection. Actinomycosis manifests itself as lesions on the skin, which at first are uneven foci of inflammation, transforming over time into numerous hard purulent bumps.
Actinomycosisis a relatively rare humanbacterial infectious disease . Tumors near the actinomycosis tend to break through and form hard-to-heal fistulas, i.e. cracking and pouring out the secretion they contain.
Actinomycosis is primarily a chronic infectious disease of animals, especially cattle and pigs.
Its characteristic feature is the presence of small, light yellow grains (the so-called drusen) in the discharge from the fistulas - these are colonies of actinomycetes. Their presence is the basis of a medical diagnosis. Only if it is difficult to see these grains and the doctor has grounds to suspect Actinomycosis - can he support the initial diagnosis by taking biopsy material from the affected areas for histological and microbiological examination.
Actinomycosis: causes
Actinomycosis most often affects adult men and is chronic - it can last for many months. The disease in humans is caused by the anaerobic bacterium of the actinomycetes calledActinomyces israeli , which may be a component of the physiological bacterial flora in the mouth. Therefore, the disease most often begins to develop there, and then spreads to the submandibular skin, usually on one side of the neck. The development of actinomycetes is fostered by:
- tooth decay
- apical infections
- injuries within the mouth.
Infectionmay also develop after tooth extraction or after trauma to the face or neck area. Wounds allow bacteria to penetrate deep into the skin and further - into the entire body. Actinomycosis can also be found in the chest (it affects the lungs) or the abdomen (then it attacks internal organs). However, these are relatively rare cases. The pulmonary form of the disease is caused by inhalation of bacteria - actinomycetes - from the mouth. Abscesses form in the lungs and pleura, and over time attack bones, lymph nodes, andthe skin. The abdominal form of this disease - similarly - is caused by ingestion of actinomycetes. The pulmonary and abdominal forms of actinomycosis are atypical, therefore their diagnosis is quite difficult.
Actinomycosis: symptoms
The symptoms of actinomycosis depend on the location of the lesions. There may be pain in the area of the infiltrates.
- increased (up to 38 ° C) temperature
- hard, limited, little painful bumps, often with purulent foci
- over time, the lumpy lesions in the infiltrate disintegrate and a fistula is formed with a serous-bloody content that contains colonies of actinomycetes
A chronic inflammatory process with necrosis leading to fistula formation and granulation scarring with board-like infiltration
Actinomycosis treatment
Actinomycosis, as a bacterial disease, is treated with antibiotics, most often administered orally (in the most severe cases - intravenously) - penicillin. The treatment lasts about six months and you should take an antibiotic all the time. Sometimes the removal of purulent lesions and hard, fibrotic tumors requires the intervention of a surgeon. Iodine preparations are also used in therapy.