Misleading diagnosis of retroperitoneal actinomycosis

A 34-year-old woman presented with a left-sided suprarenal space-occupying lesion on sonography. Culture of material obtained during sonographic-guided puncture of the retroperitoneal lesion yielded a mixed flora of Actinomyces and Peptostreptococcus. Initially, a misleading diagnosis of an adrenal pheochromocytoma was initiated by highly positive metaiodobenzylguanidine scintigraphy after chemical chemistry vanillylmandelic acid (VMA) test showed elevated values for adrenaline and its derivatives. Retroperitoneal actinomycosis with yet unproven spread into thoracic and cervical compartments is a particular unusual presentation of an infection with these organisms. Because it may mimic subacute infections of malignant masses in terms of clinical and laboratory findings, radiological diagnosis of this entity may be difficult. The diagnosis was based on results of culture and the response of the patient to long-term penicillin-derivate therapy after surgical drainage of the suprarenal abscess formation.