Colitis and lower abdominal mass by Actinomyces israelii in a patient with an IUD

[Abdominal actinomycosis simulating Crohn's disease]

Actinomycosis is a rare chronic infectious disease that usually develops abscesses and fistulas. It can also mimic other diseases such as cancer, inflammatory bowel diseases or diverticulitis. We present the case of a 67-year-old woman with an unusual form of actinomycosis. Clinically, the disease simulated an inflammatory bowel disease. Computerized axial tomography, intestinal transit and colonoscopy were performed and the suspected 1 diagnosis continued to be inflammatory bowel disease. The definitive diagnosis was made after histopathological study of the surgical specimen. We highlight the diagnostic difficulty of this rare disease and the importance of prolonged antibiotic treatment.