renal actinomycosis, a rare diagnosis which can clinically mimic a malignancy, case report and review of the literature

Introduction: actinomycosis is an unusual infection, which usually appears in the thoracic, cervicofacial, and abdominal areas. renal actinomycosis is rare and has not yet been reported in children. case presentation: an8-year-oldboy presented with a fever, weight loss, andflankpaintwoweeks after a sore throat. as the imaging studies were in favor of the malignanttumorof the right kidney, heunderwentright radical nephrectomy. pathologic study revealed xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis and actinomyces bacterial colonies. conclusion: renal actinomycosis is difficult to diagnose due to its non-specific clinical findings and near similarity to other inflammatory and tumoral conditions. early diagnosis is important for medical treatment and decrease of un-necessary surgery. using auxiliary diagnostic methods can be helpful in this aspect. percutaneous core needle biopsy or fine needle aspiration possesses higher accuracy and specificity in comparison with other methods.