A Case of Pelvic Actinomycosis

Kim, Tae Woo; Lee, Yu Jin; Jo, Kyung Hun; Bae, Sung Jun; Yun, Yeon Jung; Lee, Shin Ae; Kim, Jong Woo

Abstract

Actinomycosis is a chronic, progressive, suppurative disease which present some difficulty in establishing a correct preoperative diagnosis. Because pelvic actinomycosis has variable nonspecific clinical manifestations. Actinomyces species are gram-positive, non-acid fast, anaerobic bacteria that exhibit branching filamentous growth. After trauma, surgery, or other infection that alter the host's mucosal barriers, these organism advance to invade surrounding tissues and organs. Recent reports have demonstrated an increased incidence in women using Intrauterine device (IUD). It is accounted that IUD cause chronic intrauterine infection, tissue injury, and act as nucleus for parasitic infestation. We have experienced a cause of pelvic actinomycosis in a 37-year-old woman using IUD and report it with brief review of literature.