Haemoptysis in a patient of achalasia cardia: pulmonary actinomycosis, not tuberculosis.

Actinomycosis is an infectious disease caused by anaerobic gram-positive, non-spore forming bacteria of the genus Actinomyces that affects the oropharynx, digestive tract, and genitalia. Thoracic actinomycosis may affect the respiratory tract and the pleura, even extending to the chest wall. Pulmonary actinomycosis occurs in immunocompetent persons during the fourth and fifth decades of life, with greater prevalence in men, and is generally due to Actinomyces israelii or A meyeri. It is frequently misdiagnosed as primary or metastatic lung cancer or conventional lung infections (eg, tuberculosis). The accepted predisposing factors for bronchopulmonary actinomycosis are poor dental hygiene, alcoholism and various chronic debilitating diseases, hiatus hernia, and gastro-oesophageal reflux. We report an interesting case of pulmonary actinomycosis presenting with haemoptysis, associated with achlasia cardia, and treated as tuberculosis.