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→Clinical Summary
== Clinical Summary ==
This 18-year-old black female felt well until one year before death, when she developed a persistent, progressive skin rash and weight loss. One month before death, draining abscesses appeared in the perirectal region. Biopsy showed actinomycosis. Despite treatment, the patient died.
Autopsy revealed a large abscess around the cecum which had ruptured. The perirectal abscesses had originated from extensions of this pericecal abscess.
== Images ==
<gallery heights="250px" widths="250px">
File:IPLab9Actinomycosis5.jpg|This is a high-power photomicrograph of an actinomycotic colony. The filamentous nature (arrows) of the actinomyces organisms is more easily appreciated at this power.
</gallery>
== Virtual Microscopy ==
<peir-vm>IPLab9Actinomycosis</peir-vm>
== Study Questions ==
* <spoiler text="These organisms are ubiquitous in the environment but they seldom cause disease. Why?">Actinomyces requires an anaerobic environment deep within tissue to flourish. As a non-invasive bacterium, the Actinomyces organisms must be introduced into these deep tissues before causing harm.</spoiler>
== Additional Resources ==
=== Reference ===
* [http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/211587-overview eMedicine Medical Library: Actinomycosis]
* [http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/960759-overview eMedicine Medical Library: Pediatric Actinomycosis]
* [http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/infectious_diseases/anaerobic_bacteria/actinomycosis.html Merck Manual: Actinomycosis]
=== Journal Articles ===
* Yildiz O, Doganay M. [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16582679 Actinomycoses and Nocardia pulmonary infections]. ''Curr Opin Pulm Med'' 2006 May;12(3):228-34.
=== Images ===
* [{{SERVER}}/library/index.php?/tags/2154-actinomycosis PEIR Digital Library: Actinomycosis Images]
{{IPLab 9}}
[[Category: IPLab:Lab 9]]