이하선 종양으로 오인된 방선균증 1예

A Case of Parotid Actinomycosis Mimicking Parotid Gland Tumor

Actinomycosis is an unusual granulomatous infection caused by gram-positive anaerobic bacteria called Ac-tinomyces species(predominantly Actinomyces israelii), which is a common and normally nonpathogenic orga-nism found in the nose and throat. The three major clinical presentations of actinomycosis include the cervico-facial(the most common, 55%), thoracic, and abdominopelvic region. Actinomycosis typically has a chronic, in-dolent course characterized by swelling and induration of the soft tissues and eventual spontaneous drainage through multiple sinus tracts. Actinomycosis is difficult to diagnose because of variable presentation mimicking neo-plasm and fastidious nature of the organism in culture. We present a case of actinomycosis in the parotid tip area which was mistaken for a salivary tumor.