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Description

Botryomycosis is a bacterial infection that can rarely involve the lung. It may be misdiagnosed as cancer.


 

Features of botryomycosis:

(1) There is a chronic pulmonary nodule.

(2) Small granules are often visible that consist of bacteria in a hyaline matrix (Splendore-Hoeppli phenomenon).

(3) It may be associated with a single bacterial species but often there is a mixed infection.

 

The diagnosis involves identification of the bacteria and exclusion of conditions in the differential diagnosis.

 

Exclusion:

(1) Actinomycosis or Nocardia (may be termed pulmonary mycetoma)

(2) fungal infection

(3) mycobacterial infection

(4) cancer

(5) lung abscess

 


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