J Korean Assoc Maxillofac Plast Reconstr Surg.  2008 May;30(3):296-301.

Actinomycosis of the right masseter following the extraction of lower third molar

• Lee EY
• Kim KW

Abstract

Actinomyces is a part of the normal oral flora, but under certain circumstances it may become pathogenic. Actinomycosis is a chronic granulomatous infective disease caused by microaerophilic Gram-positive bacteria of the genus actinomyces. It can involve almost any system, but principally affects the head and neck. Because the lesions in the submandibular region and the angle of the jaw give the face a swollen, indurated appearance, actinomycosis of mandible can be easily misdiagnosed in its acute or early state of infection. In these cases the disease usually presented as a swelling suggestive of an abscess or mimicking a neoplasm. The yield from standard cultures was poor and repeated sampling and anaerobic culture may be needed to obtain a positive culture. So actinomycosis should always be considered in a differential diagnosis of all infections of the cervicofacial area. Diagnosis of actinomycosis is made based on the histopathology, the clinical presentation and past dental history. We experienced a case of actinomycosis in the masseter muscle and present the case with review of literature.

Keyword

Actinomycosis

MeSH Terms

Abscess
Actinomyces
Actinomycosis
Diagnosis, Differential
Gram-Positive Bacteria
Head
Jaw
Mandible
Masseter Muscle
Molar, Third
Neck