Actinomycosis with Tonsillar Diseases and its Clinical Significance

Bacterial colonies, foreign bodies or other artifacts in tonsil specimens are identified as incidental findings. Actinomyces are relatively often encountered on histological examination of tonsils. Actinomyces israeli and Actinomyces naeslundi are the most frequently isolated pathogenic Actinomycetes. They are Gram positive, anaerobic, non acid fast, branching, filamentous and slow growing bacteria; and are commensal bacteria within human oral cavity [1], colon and vagina. Actinomycosis infection is reported in many other anatomic locations of body, such as pharynx, maxilla, mandible, temporal mandibular joint, neck, mediastinum, thyroid gland, salivary gland, middle ear and central nervous system [2,3].