CHILDHOOD ACTINOMYCOSIS - REPORT OF 2 CASES

The authors report two cases of actinomycosis in children: one thoraci c and the other retroperitoneal. They emphasize the difficulties of di agnosis before the stage of parietal extension with cutaneous fistula and characteristic yellow granular discharge. These difficulties are d ue to: The rarity of visceral actinomycosis, particularly in children. The lesion has a similar appearance to that of a tumor; an extensive pre-operative work-up is mandatory (ultrasound, computed tomogram scan , repeated ultrasound-guided needle biopsy), although this work-up may not necessarily lead to the correct diagnosis. A surgical biopsy will often confirm the diagnosis, provided the diagnosis has been previous ly considered. The necessity of using very specific tests for correct identification of the organism. Therefore, in a case of pseudo-inflamm atory pseudotumor, visceral actinomycosis must be considered in order to guide microbiological and pathological studies, although this diagn osis is rare. Once the diagnosis has been made, prolonged treatment wi th penicillin is effective and complete recovery is generally obtained .