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Post varicella hepatic actinomycosis in a 5-year-old girl mimicking acute abdomen

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Abstract

Actinomycosis is an indolent, slowly progressive infection caused by gram-positive, anaerobic or microaerophilic bacteria. Hepatic involvement is rare and generally secondary to abdominal or thoracic actinomycosis. Hepatic actinomycosis in children may mimic a wide variety of diseases and thus make the diagnosis much more challenging. Here, we report a 5-year-old girl with apparently primary hepatic actinomycosis mimicking acute abdomen 2 weeks after varicella. The diagnosis was made by ultrasonic guided fine needle aspiration biopsy of a hypoechoic lesion of 3.5 cm diameter in the liver showing sulfur granules surrounded by neutrophils. Hepatic actinomycosis should be taken into account when evaluating acute abdomen symptoms in children.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatric Surgery, Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Etlik/Ankara, 06017, Turkey

    Ahmet Guven & Haluk Ozturk

  2. Department of Pediatrics, Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Etlik/Ankara, Turkey

    Vural Kesik & Vedat Koseoglu

  3. Department of Pathology, Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Etlik/Ankara, Turkey

    M. Salih Deveci

  4. Department of Radiology, Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Etlik/Ankara, Turkey

    M. Sahin Ugurel

Authors
  1. Ahmet Guven
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  2. Vural Kesik
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  3. M. Salih Deveci
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  4. M. Sahin Ugurel
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  5. Haluk Ozturk
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  6. Vedat Koseoglu
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Correspondence to Ahmet Guven.

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Guven, A., Kesik, V., Deveci, M.S. et al. Post varicella hepatic actinomycosis in a 5-year-old girl mimicking acute abdomen. Eur J Pediatr 167, 1199–1201 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-007-0639-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-007-0639-0

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