Actinomycosis Diagnosis And Treatment

Actinomycosis pathogens are various kinds of actinomycetes, fungi living on gramineous plants (barley, wheat, rye, velour grasses, straw). In human body they get via inhale with dust or via swallow. The likelihood of infecting increases during grain handling. Is possible contact penetration of pathogen via damaged skin and mucous membranes.

Actinomycetes may be found in healthy people in mouth, dental plaque, on mucosa of digestive tract. The disease is caused by severe immunity decline.

Diagnosis
Symptoms, X-ray examination and extraction of pathogen from white matter, exspuition or tissues help doctor make a right diagnosis. In case of intestinal forms of the disease it is impossible to get tissue samples because here is needed diagnostic surgery.

Treatment
Damage of jaws is most treatable form of actinomycosis. The prognosis is less favorable in case of abdominal, chest and generalized forms. Most favorable prognosis is in case of damage of brain and spinal cord – more than 50% of people with these forms of infection have neurological disorders and more than 25% of people die.

The recovery comes slowly but patients feel better after treatment. However, full recovery frequently requires months of antibiotics therapy along with rehearsal of surgical procedures. Surgical drainage of big abscesses and therapy with penicillin or tetracycline are performed during several weeks after symptoms disappear.

Actinomycosis Symptoms

Actinomycosis is a chronic contagious disease caused mainly by Actinomyces israelii which normally are found on gums, teeth and amygdalas. The infection is followed with abscess development.

The disease shows with four different forms and usually affects males. Actinomycosis sometimes occurs in females who use intrauterine device for contraception.

Symptoms
Abdominal form is caused by entering mouth emissions (infected with bacteria) into bowels. The infection damages bowels and abdominal membrane. Most common symptoms are pain, temperature increase, vomit, diarrhea and uncleared bowels, weight lowering. In abdominal cavity is formed a node  and white matter may go out on skin via canals linking it with abdominal wall.

Cervical gnathic form usually starts with appearing of small, plain and steady node in mouth, on neck skin and below jaw. Inflation is sometimes followed with pain. Then node softens and liquid releases, it may contain small yellow flecks. The infection may spread to cheek, tongue, throat, salivary glands, cranial bones or brain.

Chest form is followed with pains in chest, body temperature increase and wet cough. While lungs are damaged insufficiently, these symptoms do not show. In some cases chest wall may perforate and white matter may go out via cracks.
In generalized form the infection damages skin, spine, brain, liver, kidneys, ureter, and in females – alvus and ovaries.