Cervico-facial actinomycosis evaluated by multiple imaging studies

The differential diagnosis of pre-auricular masses include malignant and non-malignant neoplasms as well as non-neoplastic and infectious processes. The latter may comprise up to 27% of the cases. The authors describe a woman with a pre-auricular mass that was suspected to be a hemangioma. The mass was subsequently resected, and histologic examination detected actinomycosis with bone involvement. The radionuclide studies were helpful in assessing the lack of vascularity in the mass, thus suggesting its inflammatory or tumoral nature.