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Pulmonary actinomycosis - Symptom

Alternative Names

Actinomycosis pulmonary

Symptoms:

Chest pain when taking a deep breath
Cough with sputum
Draining sinuses
Fever
Lethargy
Night sweats
Shortness of breath
Weight loss

Signs and tests:

The infection often comes on slowly. It may be weeks or months a doctor makes a diagnosis.

Tests that may be done include:

Bronchoscopy with culture
Complete blood count
Chest x-ray
Chest CT scan
Lung biopsy
Thoracentesis with culture
Tissue culture
Tissue and fluid analysis

Respiratory system

Reviewed last on: 5/19/2008
Sean O. Stitham, MD, private practice in Internal Medicine, Seattle, WA; Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Instructor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Assistant in Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Goetz MB, Rhew DC, Torres A. Pyogenic Bacterial Pneumonia, Lung Abscess, and Empyema. In: Mason RJ, Murray JF, Broaddus VC, Nadel JA, eds. Murray & Nadel's Textbook of Respiratory Medicine. 4th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders Elsevier; 2005: chap 32.

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