Case Reports
9 May 2024
Vol. 18 No. 2 (2024)
Actinomyces turicensis: a peculiar case of empyema after COVID-19 in a patient with ulcerative colitis
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All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
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Actinomyces species are recognized as common mucosal bacteria in humans and as a newly discovered source of infection. Since its discovery in 1995, the subspecies Actinomyces turicensis has been reported as the causative pathogen of numerous infections. Only two instances of A. turicensis-related empyema, however, have been documented in the literature as of late. We report a unique case of polymicrobial empyema caused by A. turicensis shortly after a COVID-19 without any clear risk factors for anaerobic aspiration, along with a brief review of the literature. Tetracycline was successfully used for the first time to treat A. turicensis empyema, following chest drainage.
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How to Cite
Actinomyces turicensis: a peculiar case of empyema after COVID-19 in a patient with ulcerative colitis. (2024). Italian Journal of Medicine, 18(2). https://doi.org/10.4081/itjm.2024.1708
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