The cause of Actinomyces canalictulis--a case study.

Actinomycosis of the lacrimal ducts is a rare chronic infection, caused by bacteria of the genus Actinomyces, usually A. israelii. The analyzed case of a 72-year-old man draws attention to the chronic nature of the infection and the need to thoroughly investigate the microbiological material sampled from the lacrimal ducts. Good effects of treatment resulted from oral use of doxycycline and local application of erythromycin. A precise removal of actinomycotic deposits and the applied antibiotic therapy resulted in a complete recovery without recurrences. The analyzed case confirms incidents in Poland of actinomycosis of the lacrimal ducts, and draws attention to this group of microorganisms that may cause infections in ophthalmology. This confirms the need for accurate diagnosis of microbial infections in the lacrimal ducts towards anaerobic bacteria. This would contribute to greater detection of a rare form of infection.