[Pulmonary actinomycosis and tuberculosis. A comorbidity pediatric case].

Bisero, Elsa D, Luque, Graciela F, Rizzo, Cristina N, Zapata, Alejandra E, Cuello, María S

Actinomycosis is a chronic suppurative infection, produced by anaerobic Gram-positive bacteria or microaerobic Actinomyces species. It is rare in children and adolescents and it is more common in immunocompromised. Mycobacterium tuberculosis collaborates on the development of the disease. Pulmonary involvement appears as a picture of chronic condensation that does not improve with conventional antibiotic treatment. Classic complications affecting the thoracic wallwith drainage in «sulfur granule» and fistulization are described less frequently nowadays. The diagnosis is a real challenge and it is set by using the isolation of species of Actinomyces. The treatment of choice for all clinical forms of the disease is the prolonged use of antibiotics. Objetive: to present a pediatric case of comorbidity between tuberculosis and actinomycosis and to highlight the importance of diagnostic suspicion of actinomycosis in the presence of all chronic suppurative processes.