| • | gram (+) rods (filamentous); anaerobes; part of normal flora of mouth and GI tract |
| • | are bacteria (prokaryotes) but act like fungi: grow in the form of mycelia and are water and soil saprophytes |
| • | causes eroding abscesses following trauma to the mucous membranes of the mouth or GI tract |
| • | the infection is named according to the area of the body through which the abscess erodes: |
| • | cervicofacial actinomycosis (hard nodule – “lumpy jaw”) |
| • | abdominal actinomycosis (Bacteroides fragilis is also a GI tract resident that forms abscesses following trauma, but it rarely resides in the mouth) |
| • | sulfur granule = yellow granules (microcolonies of Actinomyces) seen under the microscope when examining the draining pus |
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