Abstract
Actinomycosis is an indolent infectious disease characterized by pyogenic response and necrosis, followed by intense fibrosis. The main forms of human actinomycosis are cervicofacial, pulmonary, and abdominopelvic type. Pulmonary actinomycosis accounts for 15% to 20% of total cases and unfortunately, clinical manifestations and radiologic findings are nonspecific. Small pleural effusion or empyema may develop in advanced disease but massive empyema is infrequent and rarely reported. We report a case of huge empyema caused by pulmonary actinomycosis in a 55 year-old man, presented with one-month history of productive cough and fever. The CT scan revealed a huge cavity with air-fluid level occupying the left hemithorax. Empyema caused by actinomycosis was confirmed microscopically by demonstration of sulfur granules in empyema sac through thracotomy. Decortication and surgical resection of empyema sac and destructed lung was accomplished and followed by intravenous infusion of penicillin G.
환자는 지속적인 객담을 동반한 기침 및 발열이 있었고, 방사선학적 검사에서 좌측폐에 air-fluid level을 동반한 거대한 공동이 관찰되었다. 임상 양상이 폐농양에 부합되어 항생제 투여와 배농을 시행 하였으나 호전이 없어 개흉술을 시행하였다. 수술 소견상 폐농양이 아닌 농흉이 관찰되었으며, 조직병리검사에서 폐방선균증으로 진단되었다.
