A rare case of Actinomyces skin and soft tissue infection in an end-stage kidney disease patient with a review of the literature.

End-stage kidney disease (ESKD) patients are a commonly overlooked immunocompromised population that places them at risk for rare infections. We describe the case of a 78-year-old man with a history of ESKD managed with thrice weekly in-center hemodialysis who had a prolonged episode of left elbow pain and drainage and was eventually found to have a skin and soft tissue infection from Actinomyces radingae. We review the bacteriology of Actinomyces spp. and the experiences of other providers who have treated actinomycosis in individuals with ESKD. The anatomic sites and demographics of these individuals are heterogeneous, but they all generally require a long antibiotic course with a beta-lactam and portend to a good prognosis. High index of suspicion is needed to identify rare and atypical infections in the ESKD population.