Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-q99xh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T02:35:37.608Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Actinomycosis oto-mastoiditis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 June 2007

M. Ajal
Affiliation:
Department of Neuro-Otology/Skull Base Surgery, St Vincent' Hospital, Sydney, Australia
J. Turner
Affiliation:
Department of Anatomical Pathology, St Vincent' Hospital, Sydney, Australia
Paul Fagan*
Affiliation:
Department of Neuro-Otology/Skull Base Surgery, St Vincent' Hospital, Sydney, Australia
Paul Walker
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, John Hopkins Hospital, Newcastle, Australia
*
Address for correspondence: Mr P. Fagan, 352 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010Australia

Abstract

Actinomycosis of the temporal bone is uncommon. There have only been 24 cases previously reported in the English literature. The responsible organism is Actinomyces israelii, an anaerobic filamentous Gram positive bacterium. While the cervico-facial region is the most common site of the disease, involvement of the temporal bone is rare. The diagnosis can sometimes be made clinically by identification of sulphur granules in a glue-like substrate but in all cases involving the temporal bone, the diagnosis has been made at histopathology. Effective therapy consists of surgery followed by the long-term administration of penicillin.

Type
Clinical Records
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 1997

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Chang, C. J., Lalwani, A. K., Lanser, M. J. (1993) Actinomycosis of external auditory canal. Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery 108 (1): 7374.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Leek, J. H. (1974) Actinomycosis of the tympanomastoid. Laryngoscope 84: 290301.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Miglets, A. W., Branson, D. (1993) Arachnia propionica as unusual agent in tympanomastoiditis. Archives of Otology 109: 410411.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Olson, T. S., Seid, A. B., Pransky, S. M. (1989) Actinomycosis of the middle ear. Journal of Paediatric Otolaryngology 17: 5155.Google ScholarPubMed
Risch, O. C. (1939) Actinomycosis of the ear. Archives of Otology 29: 235251.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Russo, T. A. (1995) Agents of actinomycosis. In Principles and Practice of Infectious Disease. (Mandel, G. A., Dolin, R., Bennett, E. J., eds.) 4th Edition. Churchill-Livingstone, New York. pp. 22802288.Google Scholar
Shelton, C., Brackmann, D. E. (1988) Actinomycosis otitis media. Archives of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery 114: 8889.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Smego, R. A. (1987) Actinomycosis of the tympanomastoid. Laryngoscope 84: 290301.Google Scholar
Tarabichi, M., Schloss, M. (1993) Actinomycosis otomastoiditis. Archives of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery 119: 561562.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Townrow, V., Barrie, H. J. (1945) Fatal actinomycosis infection of the middle ear. Laryngology-Otology 60: 329330.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed