[Laryngeal actinomycosis - a case report and the review of the literature].

We report a case of a 20-year-old man who presented with discreet dysphagia for several months. Indirect laryngoscopy showed a swollen, reddened, thickened epiglottis and smooth, thickened, injected mucosa of aryepiglottic folds and postcricoid region. Thorough work-up was undertaken to exclude specific and non-specific infectious diseases, neoplasm, vascular disorders, immunodeficiency syndrome. Histology revealed actinomycotic colonies in biopsy specimen taken from the epiglottis. The inflammation was resolving gradually during long-term antibiotic-therapy. Actinomycosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis in unclear long-lasting inflammation of the supraglottis. The course of untreated actinomycosis can be fatal which is connected with progressive dissemination of the process and secondary abscesses formation in the lungs, liver and brain.