Pelvic actinomycosis in menopausal patient, case review

Pelvic actinomycosis is a granulomatous chronic illness due to anaerobic, gram-positive, branching filamentous bacteria (Actinomyces israelii), this and other species of actinomyces occur in the normal flora of the gastrointestinal and genital tract in humans. Infection is associated in women using an IUD (Intrauterine device) for long periods and it has the characteristic of simulate malignant diseases causing most of the times wrong preoperative diagnosis. We analyzed a postmenopausal patient who was treated surgically without specific diagnosis, then by anatomo-pathologic study of the specimen the result was actinomycosis. The main purpose to obtain the correct preoperative diagnosis is because we have to use antibiotics in the treatment and it may reduce the frequency of radical surgeries.