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Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2007;133(4):414.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

Diagnosis: Actinomycosis of the lip mimicking minor salivary gland tumor

Actinomycosis is rare nowadays because of its high sensitivity to most antibiotics and because of a general improvement in oral hygiene. Actinomycosis of the lip is very uncommon. A review of the English-language medical literature revealed only 1 reported case of lip involvement over the last 30 years.¹ We describe a smooth, nonulcerative, firm submucosal lesion of the lip that had the clinical appearance of a minor salivary gland tumor. Diagnosis of actinomycosis was confirmed only after histologic examination revealed the characteristic picture of sulfur granules.

Actinomycetes, which are normal inhabitants of the human oral cavity, have a tendency to penetrate the submucosal tissue when there is an interruption of the mucosal barrier.^2-7 Although our patient did not remember any previous injury to his lip, it could have become infected with actinomycosis because of previous minor mucosal trauma, eg, caused unknowingly by biting the lip when eating. Since our patient . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2007;133(4):411.
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