Actinomycosis is a chronic inflammatory disease caused by an infection of Actinomyces israeli. Although lesions are commonly observed in the cervicofacial region, few cases in the salivary gland, especially in the submandibular gland, have been reported previously.
Moreover, highly developed antibiotics tend to mask the characteristic symptoms and make it difficult to distinguish this disease from other massive diseases of the submandibular region.
Two rare cases of actinomycosis observed in the submandibular gland region were experienced.
Case 1: 53-year-old male patient. The lesion had granulomatous tumor in contact with the submandibular gland. The clinical diagnosis was lymphadenitis or malignant tumor of the submandibular region.
Case 2: 43-year-old female patient. The lesion was isolated in the submandibular gland. Theclinical diagnosis was malignant tumor or chronic sialadenitis of the submandibular gland.
In both cases, the final diagnosis as “actinomycosis” was made pathohistologically after the surgical excision. ABPC had been administered postoperatively and no sign of recurrence have observed as yet.
Although long-term administration of proper antibiotics such as PC groups is the treatment of choice, surgical excision combined with antibiotics is considered to be more effective for the localized actinomycosis.
