Primary intracranial actinomycosis. Report of a case and review of the literature

Actinomycosis is a bacterial infection that affects chiefly the cervico-oro-facial area, the abdomen and lungs. From these sites it may sometimes spread to the central nervous system. Extremely rare, and controversial, is the possibility of a primary infection of the central nervous system. We report an odd case of apparently primary brain abscess caused by Actinomyces israeli and review the literature.