Maquera-Afaray Julio, Pérez-Lazo Giancarlo, Magallanes José, Arenas José
Servicio de Infectología, Instituto Nacional de Salud del Niño San Borja. Lima, Perú; Escuela de Medicina, Universidad Privada de Tacna. Tacna, Perú.
Servicio de Medicina Interna Infectología, Hospital Nacional Guillermo Almenara Irigoyen. Lima, Perú.
Rev Gastroenterol Peru. 2019 Apr-Jun;39(2):160-163.
Esophageal pathology is common in patients with HIV, frequently due to Candida, cytomegalovirus or herpes virus. However, esophageal actinomycosis is a rare infection, even in patients with HIV. We report the case of a 33-year-old male patient, with a recent diagnosis of HIV who was admitted for fever, odynophagia, dysphagia and retrosternal pain. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy evidenced multiple esophageal ulcers and the histopathological report of the esophageal biopsy described a chronic esophagitis with colonies of PAS positive bacilli, compatible with Actinomyces, initiating favorable antimicrobial therapy. Although it is an uncommon disease, about one-third of cases of esophageal actinomycosis occur in patients with HIV infection, and endoscopic biopsies are required to define diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
