Definition

Actinomycosis is an infectious disease of bacterial origin, its agent belongs to the Actinomyces family.  The most frequent is Actinomyces israelii,  which is found in the mouth and the rest of the digestive tract, from which it is able to invade the organism when something injures the mucosa that covers the air passages, for example a traumatism, allowing its entrance to the circulatory system through which it disseminates.

The lack of oral hygiene and dental infections favor the growth and development of Actinomyces and the later infection.

Depending on the way it invades the organism, there will be various clinical forms of actinomycosis.  In most cases, around 60%, it is located in face and neck.  The rest in the abdomen in 20-25% of the cases, the thorax 15%, and in a lesser proportion in the pelvic region, liver, brain and kidneys.

The ear takes around 36 hours to recover its normal hearing sensibility.