Nasopharyngeal actinomycosis on 18f-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography: A case report

Abstract

Actinomycosis is a chronic disease character- ized by slow progression, abscess formation, tissue fibrosis and draining sinuses. Occurrence originating from the nasopharynx is extremely low. The present study described the case of a 46-year-old otherwise healthy female, with no remarkable history of mucosal injury or teeth rottenness, who presented with an asymptomatic nasopharyngeal mass that was detected incidentally by 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography. A nasopha- ryngoscopy revealed an unclear demarcated granular mass. The patient then underwent a biopsy. Based on the obtained clinical images, microbiological results and histological find- ings, a diagnosis of actinomycosis was established. The patient experienced an uneventful eradication of the disease after two months of oral antibiotic treatment with amoxicillin. In conclusion, these findings indicate that actinomycosis should be included in the differential diagnosis of nasopharyngeal neoplasms.