Actinomyces odontolyticus thoracopulmonary infections: Two cases in lung and heart-lung transplant recipients and a review of the literature

We present the first ease of mediastinitis and the third ease of pneumonia attributed to Actinomyces odontolyticus. The first patient presented 10 months after single-lung transplant with a subacute apical infiltrate in the native lung and responded to therapy with oral penicillin. The second patient developed pyogenic mediastinitis 25 days after a heart-lung transplant and required sternal debridement and intravenous penicillin. We also review the literature on thoracopulmonary infections due to A odontolyticus.