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Query: UMLS:C0000727 (acute abdomen)
 3,084 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The case of a female patient aged 34 suffering from abdominal actinomycosis is reported. She underwent emergency surgery for an abscess-forming tumour infiltrating the lateral abdominal wall and giving rise to the clinical picture of acute abdomen. The casuistry is complemented by two further case histories of actinomyces infections in patients with fistulas of the anal region and pilonidal sinus respectively. Abdominal actinomycosis presents itself as a rare chronic bacterial inflammation, usually located in the right lower abdomen, with local abscess or fistula formation as well as tumour-like infiltration of the surrounding tissues. Exceptionally, the diagnosis is ascertained prior to surgery. Postoperative antibiotic therapy with penicillin for several months ist essential.
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PMID:[Acute abdomen in abdominal actinomycosis]. 868 43

We present three cases of abdominal actinomycosis in females, one presenting with an abdominal mass and the two others underwent emergency surgery because of acute abdomen with a diagnosis of complicated acute appendicitis. The first patient (age 36 years) presented with an abdominal mass in the left lower quadrant arising from the colon as observed by abdominal computed tomography (CT). The patient was brought to the operating room and tumoral resection was done. The second and third patients (37 years and 39 years, respectively) were brought to the emergency room because of acute abdominal pain with leucocytosis. Exploratory laparotomy was performed, finding in the second patient a bilateral ovarian abscess and uterine perforation. Hysterectomy and salpingo-oophorectomy were done. In the third patient, the findings were a sigmoid mass and a bilateral tubo-ovarian abscess and these organs were resected. Samples were sent for pathologic analysis. Microscopic analysis of the specimens sent revealed the presence of "sulfur granules," and a diagnosis of actinomycosis was made. Abdominal actinomycosis is a rare disease and preoperative diagnosis is uncommon. It is necessary to complete the full course of antibiotic therapy in order to completely eradicate the disease.
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PMID:[Abdominal actinomycosis: report of three cases]. 1588 70

Abdominal actinomycosis is a chronic suppurative infection caused by Actinomyces species. The ileo-cecal region is most commonly affected, while the left side of the colon is more rarely involved. The infection has a tendency to infiltrate adjacent tissues and is therefore rarely confined to a single organ. Presentation may vary from non specific symptoms and signs to an acute abdomen. A computed tomography scan is helpful in identifying the inflammatory process and the organs involved. It also allows visual guidance for percutaneous drainage of abscesses, thus aiding diagnosis. Culture is difficult because of the anaerobic character and slow growth of actinomycetes. Colonoscopy is usually normal, but may shows signs of external compression. Preoperative diagnosis is rare and is established only in less than 10% of cases. In uncomplicated disease, high dose antibiotic therapy is the mainstay of treatment. Surgery is often performed because of a difficulty in diagnosis. Surgery and antibiotics are required in the case of complicated disease. Combined medical and surgical treatment achieves a cure in about 90% of cases. The authors report a case of sigmoid actinomycosis where diagnosis was made from the histology, and a review of the literature is presented.
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PMID:Actinomycosis of the sigmoid colon: A case report. 2116 Jul 98

Abdominal actinomycosis in childhood period is very rare and a relation to trauma is not well established. Herein we report a case that appeared subsequent to abdominal trauma. A 17 years old boy presented with left lower quadrant abdominal mass and signs of acute abdomen. The symptoms of abdominal discomfort began after a fall from height 3 months before admission. There were signs of acute abdomen at physical examination. Ultrasound of abdomen demonstrated a mass; CT scan findings pointed to a suspicious "internal hernia". An emergency laparotomy was performed. During surgery, a mass located over sigmoid colon and infiltrating the lateral abdominal wall was found. It was removed en bloc with the adjacent omentum. Except for the thickened sigmoid colon, no other pathologies were present at laparotomy. The pathology specimen revealed the actinomyces infection. The patient was treated with oral penicillin after discharge and the follow-up was uneventful. We advocate, keeping the actinomyces infection in mind in cases presenting with abdominal mass of unknown origin in childhood period.
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PMID:Actinomycosis presenting as an abdominal mass in a child. 2295 71

Abdominal actinomycosis as an aetiological cause of acute abdomen in immunocompetent patients is considered to be very rare. The authors present a case of a young patient with acute appendicitis in the terrain of specific colitis imitating caecal tumour. Especially nowadays, in the era of globalization, it would be an unnecessary mistake not to think of this aetiological unit when the pain and tenderness in the right hypogastrium with signs of peritonism are expressed.
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PMID:[Ileocaecal actinomycosis - a case report]. 2400 80