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Case report and review of literature on Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans lung infection in a child

Case report and review of literature on Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans lung infection in a ch…
Photo by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases / Unsplash
Key Takeaway
Consider Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans lung infection in children with chest lesions that may mimic malignancy.

This document is a case report and review of literature regarding Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans lung infection. The scope includes conditions such as empyema necessitans and chest malignancy within a pediatric setting. The authors synthesized available data alongside a specific clinical instance to provide context for rare presentations and diagnostic challenges.

The report details 1 case involving an eight-year-old girl. She received antibiotic therapy as the intervention for the infection. The primary outcome was complete resolution of symptoms and lesion. Follow-up duration was recorded as 8 weeks to confirm clinical improvement and sustained recovery.

The authors note limited literature on published cases in pediatrics regarding this specific pathogen. Safety data regarding adverse events, serious adverse events, and discontinuations were not reported. Tolerability information is also not reported in the source material. Funding or conflicts of interest were not reported by the authors.

Practice relevance highlights that this is an exceptional infection in children. It can initially be misdiagnosed as a malignant lesion. Clinicians should maintain awareness of this diagnostic possibility when evaluating similar presentations. The evidence supports antibiotic therapy but lacks broader statistical validation due to the small sample size of 1 case.

Study Details

Study typeSystematic review
EvidenceLevel 1
PublishedApr 2026
View Original Abstract ↓
Empyema necessitans is a rare complication of parapneumonic effusion. Here, we present the case of an eight-year-old girl who presented with a tumor-like chest mass. The clinical presentation initially suggested a malignant disease. A multidisciplinary approach prior to surgery enabled a correct diagnosis by performing pre-surgery cultures and submitting surgical specimens for both microbiological and histopathological analysis. The microbiological workup demonstrated an Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans infection, which was consistent with the histopathological findings. Antibiotic therapy was administered for a total of 8 weeks, leading to the complete resolution of the symptoms and the lesion. This article provides a detailed description of this exceptional infection in children that can initially be misdiagnosed as a malignant lesion and offers a review of the limited literature on published cases in pediatrics.
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