Cervical spinal cord compression in a child with cervicofacial actinomycosis.

Abstract

Actinomycosis is a rare, chronic, suppurative, and slowly progressive granulomatous disease caused by a group of filamentous gram-positive anaerobic bacteria belonging to the normal flora of the oral cavity, gastrointestinal, and genitourinary tracts. It may involve several organs; however, spinal cord compression has rarely been reported. We report a 7-year-3-month-old girl who suffered from neck pain with restricted movement, poor appetite, body weight loss, mild right limbs weakness, and a non-tender neck mass. Histopathology of the neck mass revealed sulfur granules of actinomyces. Since actinomycosis was strongly suspected, she was treated with high dose of parenteral penicillin G followed by oral penicillin with complete recovery. The unusual features of our case suggested that actinomycosis should be considered as a differential diagnosis of neck mass and cervical spinal cord compression.

• Authors: Po-Cheng Hung, Huei-Shyong Wang, Cheng-Hsun Chiu, Alex M-C Wong
• Journal: Brain & development (Brain Dev) Vol. 36 Issue 7 Pg. 634-6 (Aug 2014) ISSN: 1872-7131 [Electronic] Netherlands
• PMID: 23993830 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2013 The Japanese Society of Child Neurology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Topics

• Actinomycosis, Cervicofacial (complications, diagnosis)
• Cervical Cord (pathology)
• Child
• Diagnosis, Differential
• Female
• Humans
• Spinal Cord Compression (complications, diagnosis)