[Pelvic and abdominal actinomycosis. Case report and review of the literature]

Pelvic and abdominal actinomycosis is a chronic suppurating granulomatosis caused by a Gram positive gem, Actinomyces Israelii. Manifestations of this rare disease may mimic cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, or diverticulitis. These syndromes lead to surgical exeresis. The diagnosis is obtained from the pathology report. We report the case of a 56 years old woman with large bowel obstruction secondary to extensive pelvic and abdominal actinomycosis. A review of the literature shows that the abdominal-pelvic form has been increasing over the past 10 years secondary to the increased and prolonged use of the intrauterine device. Treatment of this condition consists of a combination of antibiotics and surgery to achieve complete recovery.