Actinomycosis of Thoracic Spine ? A Rare Case

INTRODUCTION Actinomycosis is a chronic suppurative infection caused by Actinomyces species which is facultative, anaerobic gram positive bacteria, a commensal of the normal flora of the oropharynx. The most classical presentation of the disease is cervicofacial form accounting for half of the cases followed by thoracic, abdominopelvic and cerebral localization. Spinal actinomycosis is a rare event and the diagnosis is challenging because it mimics with other diseases like tuberculosis and malignancy. The isolation of pathogens is difficult as it requires specific procedures. CASE HISTORY We report a rare case of actinomycosis involving thoracic spine and resulting into paraplegia secondary to cord compression. CONCLUSION Actinomycosis resulting into spinal abscess is a rare condition. The diagnosis is challenging because of difficulty in isolation of the organism and its clinical resemblance to other infections like tuberculosis and malignancy. For accurate diagnosis, a high degree of clinical suspicion should be kept in mind and appropriate techniques should be used for isolation of the organisms.