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IDCases 2021We report the case of a man with intense cough for several months and a few days of severe dyspnea. A massive pleural empyema due to was diagnosed by radiological,...
We report the case of a man with intense cough for several months and a few days of severe dyspnea. A massive pleural empyema due to was diagnosed by radiological, microbiological and thoracoscopic means. Pleural infections caused by this anaerobic bacterium are very rare and should be considered when risk factors like male gender, chronic alcohol abuse, and poor oral hygiene are present. Penicillin-based antibiotic treatment and surgical decortication led to recovery.
PubMed: 34584845
DOI: 10.1016/j.idcr.2021.e01278 -
Journal of Oral Microbiology 2024organisms reside on mucosal surfaces of the oropharynx and the genitourinary tract. Polymicrobial infections with organisms are increasingly being reported in the... (Review)
Review
organisms reside on mucosal surfaces of the oropharynx and the genitourinary tract. Polymicrobial infections with organisms are increasingly being reported in the literature. Since these infections differ from classical actinomycosis, lacking of specific clinical and imaging findings, slow-growing organisms can be regarded as contaminants or insignificant findings. In addition, only limited knowledge is available about novel species and their clinical relevance. The recent reclassifications have resulted in the transfer of several species to novel genera , , , , or . The spectrum of diseases associated with specific members of and these related genera varies. In human infections, the most common species are Actinomyces , , and , which are typical inhabitants of the mouth, and , , and . In this narrative review, the purpose was to gather information on the emerging role of specific organisms within the and related genera in polymicrobial infections. These include in pulmonary infections, in brain abscesses and infections in the lower respiratory tract, in skin-related infections, in necrotizing fasciitis and skin abscesses, and in infected tissues around prostheses and devices. Increased understanding of the role of and related species in polymicrobial infections could provide improved outcomes for patient care. Key messages Due to the reclassification of the genus, many former species belong to novel genera , , , , or .Some of the species play emerging roles in specific infection types in humans.Increasing awareness of their clinical relevance as an established or a putative pathogen in polymicrobial infections brings about improved outcomes for patient care.
PubMed: 38766462
DOI: 10.1080/20002297.2024.2354148 -
BMC Microbiology Jul 2020The possibility that smokeless tobacco may contribute to oral carcinogenesis by influencing the oral microbiome has not been explored. This preliminary cross-sectional...
BACKGROUND
The possibility that smokeless tobacco may contribute to oral carcinogenesis by influencing the oral microbiome has not been explored. This preliminary cross-sectional study sought to assess the effect of using shammah, a form of smokeless tobacco prevalent in Arabia, on the tongue microbiome. Tongue scarping samples were obtained from 29 shammah users (SU; 27.34 ± 6.9 years) and 23 shammah non-users (SNU; 27.7 ± 7.19 years) and analyzed with 16S rRNA gene sequencing (V1-V3). Species-level taxonomy assignment of the high-quality, merged reads was obtained using a previously described BLASTn-based algorithm. Downstream analyses were performed with QIIME, LEfSe, and R.
RESULTS
A total of 178 species, belonging to 62 genera and 8 phyla were identified. Genera Streptococcus, Leptotrichia, Actinomyces, Veillonella, Haemophilus, Prevotella and Neisseria accounted for more than 60% of the average microbiome. There were no differences between the two groups in species richness and alpha-diversity, but PCoA showed significant separation (P = 0.015, ANOSIM). LEfSe analysis identified 22 species to be differentially abundant between the SU and SNU. However, only 7 species maintained a false discovery rate of ≤0.2 and could cluster the two groups separately: Rothia mucilaginosa, Streptococcus sp. oral taxon 66, Actinomyces meyeri, Streptococcus vestibularis Streptococcus sanguinis and a potentially novel Veillonella species in association with SU, and Oribacterium asaccharolyticum with SNU.
CONCLUSION
These preliminary results indicate that shammah use induces tongue microbiome changes including enrichment of several species with high acetaldehyde production potential, which warrants further investigation.
Topics: Adult; Bacteria; Case-Control Studies; Cross-Sectional Studies; DNA, Bacterial; DNA, Ribosomal; Humans; Male; Phylogeny; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Tobacco, Smokeless; Tongue; Young Adult
PubMed: 32640977
DOI: 10.1186/s12866-020-01883-8 -
Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases Jun 2023CNS actinomycosis is a rare chronic suppurative infection with non-specific clinical features. Diagnosis is difficult due to its similarity to malignancy, nocardiosis... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
CNS actinomycosis is a rare chronic suppurative infection with non-specific clinical features. Diagnosis is difficult due to its similarity to malignancy, nocardiosis and other granulomatous diseases. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the epidemiology, clinical characteristics, diagnostic modalities and treatment outcomes in CNS actinomycosis.
METHODS
The major electronic databases (PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus) were searched for the literature review by using distinct keywords: "CNS" or "intracranial" or "brain abscess" or "meningitis" OR "spinal" OR "epidural abscess" and "actinomycosis." All cases with CNS actinomycosis reported between January 1988 to March 2022 were included.
RESULTS
A total of 118 cases of CNS disease were included in the final analysis. The mean age of patients was 44 years, and a significant proportion was male (57%). Actinomycosis israelii was the most prevalent species (41.5%), followed by Actinomyces meyeri (22.6%). Disseminated disease was found in 19.5% of cases. Most commonly involved extra-CNS organs are lung (10.2%) and abdomen (5.1%). Brain abscess (55%) followed by leptomeningeal enhancement (22%) were the most common neuroimaging findings. Culture positivity was found in nearly half of the cases (53.4%). The overall case-fatality rate was 11%. Neurological sequelae were present in 22% of the patients. On multivariate analysis, patients who underwent surgery with antimicrobials had better survival (adjusted OR 0.14, 95% CI 0.04-0.28, p value 0.039) compared to those treated with antimicrobials alone.
CONCLUSION
CNS actinomycosis carries significant morbidity and mortality despite its indolent nature. Early aggressive surgery, along with prolonged antimicrobial treatment is vital to improve outcomes.
Topics: Humans; Male; Adult; Abscess; Actinomycosis; Central Nervous System Diseases; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 37269006
DOI: 10.1186/s13023-023-02744-z -
IDCases 2017We describe a case of a 29-year-old man from Pakistan who presented with progressive neurologic symptoms over 1 week and was found to have a right parietal cerebral...
We describe a case of a 29-year-old man from Pakistan who presented with progressive neurologic symptoms over 1 week and was found to have a right parietal cerebral abscess. Neurosurgical drainage cultures showed growth of , , and . An abscessed molar was identified as the likely port of entry and was extracted. The patient was treated with metronidazole, vancomycin, and doxycycline because of prior anaphylaxis to penicillin. At 6-month follow-up, repeat magnetic resonance imaging showed no signs of residual abscess. Culture-independent identification techniques (e.g., ribosomal sequencing) increasingly identify as a causative agent and significant pathogen in spontaneous brain abscesses. As understanding about prevalence and pathogenesis improves, questions arise about optimal treatment strategy, which we discuss based on a literature review.
PubMed: 28831384
DOI: 10.1016/j.idcr.2017.07.007 -
Infection & Chemotherapy Dec 2014Actinomyces meyeri is rarely isolated in cases of actinomycosis. The identification of A. meyeri had historically been difficult and unreliable. With the recent...
Actinomyces meyeri is rarely isolated in cases of actinomycosis. The identification of A. meyeri had historically been difficult and unreliable. With the recent development of 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) sequencing, Actinomyces species such as A. meyeri can be isolated much more reliably. A. meyeri often causes disseminated disease, which can be secondary to frequent pulmonary infections. A penicillin-based regimen is the mainstay of A. meyeri treatment, with a prolonged course usually required. Here, we report a case of pulmonary actinomycosis with brain abscess caused by A. meyeri that was initially thought to represent lung cancer with brain metastasis.
PubMed: 25566409
DOI: 10.3947/ic.2014.46.4.269 -
Cureus Jun 2023Central nervous system (CNS) actinomycosis is a rare, serious, life-threatening, suppurative infection caused by Actinomyces species. Actinomyces are anaerobic...
Central nervous system (CNS) actinomycosis is a rare, serious, life-threatening, suppurative infection caused by Actinomyces species. Actinomyces are anaerobic Gram-positive bacteria, which can be normally isolated from the polymicrobial flora of the gastrointestinal- and genital tracts. They are considered very low virulent bacteria to humans. However, they can lead to several types of local or disseminated infections, if certain pathologic states or immunodeficiency occur. Intracranial abscesses caused by Actinomyces meyeri are rarely reported in adults. In this case report, we describe a 66-year-old woman who presented to the emergency department due to progressive complaints of altered sensorium and low-grade fever, due to an A. meyeri-related brain abscess. The only risk factor was represented by immunodeficiency due to the therapy with Methotrexate and steroids.
PubMed: 37525793
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.41204 -
Case Reports in Infectious Diseases 2017A 66-year-old, Caucasian male presented with pain and swelling involving the left knee of one-week duration. Arthrocentesis was negative for evidence of septic...
A 66-year-old, Caucasian male presented with pain and swelling involving the left knee of one-week duration. Arthrocentesis was negative for evidence of septic arthritis. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study of the left knee showed degenerative arthritis, partial tear of medial meniscus, and a complex fluid collection along the posteromedial aspect of the left knee suggestive of popliteal cyst. He underwent arthroscopy with partial medial meniscectomy. Intraoperative joint fluid was noted to be cloudy but cultures were negative. Arthroscopic procedure provided him with temporary relief but the pain and swelling in the posterior aspect of the left knee recurred in 6 weeks. Repeat MRI showed complex fluid collection in the posterolateral aspect of left knee. Ultrasound guided aspiration of the fluid collection revealed purulent material and cultures grew . He was treated with 6 weeks of intravenous penicillin regimen followed by 18 months of oral penicillin.
PubMed: 28255479
DOI: 10.1155/2017/9704790 -
European Heart Journal. Case Reports Sep 2022[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1093/ehjcr/ytac260.].
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1093/ehjcr/ytac260.].
PubMed: 36196147
DOI: 10.1093/ehjcr/ytac400 -
Pulmonary Pharmacology & Therapeutics Dec 2021Actinomycosis is a rare chronic infection triggered by species of Actinomyces. Although thoracic involvement represents about 15% of human actinomycosis, its true... (Review)
Review
Actinomycosis is a rare chronic infection triggered by species of Actinomyces. Although thoracic involvement represents about 15% of human actinomycosis, its true incidence may be underestimated, not only because of its challenging diagnosis, but also because it can be treated unintentionally with antibiotics for other diseases. In this sense, this work aims at providing an up-to-date literature review on thoracic actinomycoses, with particular emphasis on presentation, diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, also paving upcoming clinical interventions from findings obtained of a presentation of a case series. Data discussed here clearly denote the rarity, non-specificity and heterogeneity of clinical presentations of the disease, reinforcing the need for individualized therapeutic approaches.
Topics: Actinomyces; Actinomycosis; Bronchiectasis; Humans; Lung Diseases; Persistent Infection
PubMed: 34571094
DOI: 10.1016/j.pupt.2021.102078