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Complications of Actinomycosis

Abscesses from actinomycosis may occur in many parts of the body, including the lungs, and can spread easily from one part of the body to another.

If the original site of infection is in the skin of the face, it may spread to nearby parts of the body such as the scalp or ears. If the original site of the infection is the mouth, it may spread to the tongue, larynx (vocal chords), trachea (windpipe), salivary glands, and the tubes that connect the throat to the nose.

Unlike other bacterial infections, actinomycosis will move easily from one layer of tissue to the next. Instead of simply travelling across the surface of the skin, for example, it can move down to deeper parts of the body. Unlike most infections, it can also move to other parts of the body without travelling through the lymphatic system, the body’s network of glands.

If the infection spreads to the meninges (the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord) meningitis can develop.

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