• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.60 no.5
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• pp.516-522
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• 2006

Background : In contrast to tuberculous pleurisy, tuberculous empyema is a chronic active infectious disease of the pleural cavity that is frequently accompanied by cavitary or advanced pulmonary lesions. The condition requires long-term anti-tuberculous medication with external drainage. The clinical features and treatment outcome of tuberculous empyema are unclear despite the high prevalence of tuberculosis in Korea. Methods : From January 1991 through April 2004, 17 patients diagnosed with tuberculous empyema in Kyungpook National University Hospital were enrolled in this study. Their medical records and chest radiographs were reviewed. Results : Twelve patients(71%) had a history of tuberculosis and six of the 12 patients were under current anti-tuberculous medication. Productive cough, fever, and dyspnea were the main complaints. There was no predominance between the right and left lungs. Nine patients(53%) had far-advanced pulmonary tuberculosis, two(12%) had a cavitary lesion, and seven(41%) had a pyopneumothorax on the chest radiograph. All eight cases in whom the data of pleural fluid WBC differential count was available showed polymorphonuclear leukocyte predominance. Eight patients(47%) had other bacterial infections as well. The overall rates of a positive sputum AFB smear and culture for M. tuberculosis were 71% and 64%, respectively. The positive AFB smear and culture rates for M. tuberculosis from the pleural fluid were 33% and 36%, respectively. Twelve of the 16 patients(75%) were treated successfully. Three underwent additional surgical intervention. Two patients (12%) died during treatment. Conclusion : Tuberculous empyema is frequently accompanied by advanced pulmonary lesions, and polymorphonuclear leukocytes are predominant in the pleural fluid. Other accompanying bacterial infections in the pleural cavity are also common in tuberculous empyema patients. Therefore, tuberculous empyema should be considered in differential diagnosis of patients with polymorphonuclear leukocyte-predominant pleural effusion. In addition, more active effort will be needed to achieve a bacteriological diagnosis in the pleural fluid.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.11
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• pp.1063-1069
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• 1998

Background: Multi-loculated empyema makes treatment difficult, and more so when thoracentesis or chest tube drainage fails. Materials and methods: From December 1991 to December 1997, we performed closed rib resectional drainage for 18 cases of loculated empyema on the fibrinopurulent or early chronic phase. Results: Surgery was performed on patients with loculated empyema complaining of persistent symptoms due to failure of treatment by thoracentesis(8 cases) or chest tube drainage(10 cases). Predisposing factors of empyema were pneumonia in 13 cases, clotted hemothorax in 3 cases, cholecystectomy, and tuberculous pleurisy in 1 case. Causal organisms were cultured in 8 cases(42.1%), and methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus was found in 3 cases, pseudomonas aeruginosa in 2 cases, and enterococcus aerogens, α-hemolytic streptococcus, and acinetobacter baumannii were found in 1 case. Size of loculations was various, and computed chest tomogram showed multiple loculations of empyema numbering 1∼4(mean 1.78±1.00). Operating time was relatively short, about 55∼140 mins(mean 102.8±30.8). All toxic symptoms including fever disappeared postopratively and general conditions improved very quickly in all patients. Length of chest tube indwelling time and hospital stay after surgery were 3∼42 days(mean 11.4±11.5) and 6∼36 days(mean 12.9±8.1), respectively. Complications of prolonged drainage occurred in 2 cases and no death occurred. There were no recurrences and chest x-rays taken 3∼6 months after surgery showed normal findings in 14 cases and slight pleural thickening in 4 cases. Conclusions: Closed rib resectional drainage requires very simple techniques and has excellent outcomes and little complications, therefore, we think that it is the choice of operation for patients with loculated empyema on the fibrinopurulent or early chronic phase.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.475-485
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• 1980

For the past 5 year 6 months from January 1975 to June 1980, 176 patients with empyema have been treated in Chonnam University Hospital. They were 134 males and 42 females ranging from ] 8 days to 69 years of age. [mean age: 26.1 years] The duration of illness prior to treatment was relatively shorter in pediatric group than in adult group, that is, the duration of less than 1 month was 89.5% in pediatric group and 38.0% in adult group. In bacteria study there were Staphylococcus 26.1%, Streptococcus 17.6%, E. coil 10.8%, Pseudomonas 10.8%, Diplococcus pneumoniae 5.7% and Candidia. And 4 children and 3 adults had infections of two species of bacteria. The underlying pathologic lesions were pyogenic pneumonia 34.7%, tuberculosis 29.5%, paragonimiasis 15.3%, trauma 9.7% and postoperative state. The over-all mortality rate was 1.7% [3 patients]. The causes of death were sepsis In 1 child and sepsis secondary to esophageal fistula in 2 adults. Adequate drainage and obliteration of the pleural space seems to be the most important aspect of treatment and can frequently be achieved by initial tube drainage in acute empyema, especially in the pediatric group. The chronic thick walled or loculated cavities required open window therapy, decortication, resection therapy and sterilization. Modified Eloesser`s operation and 0.3-0.5% potadine irrigation brought good result in the patients who had general weakness, marked pulmonary parenchymal destruction due to pyothorax, and pyothorax with severe bronchopleural fistula.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.29 no.7
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• pp.792-797
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• 1996

Empyema with bronchopleural fistula is a serious complication after resectional surgery of the lung. Several methods in treating empyema with bronchopleural fistula have been developed, but the results were not always satisfactory. Recently, successful results have been reported with the surgical treatments using tissue flap (the omentum and f or the chest wall muscles) to close the bronchopleural fistula in patients with thoracic empyema. We have performed surgical procedures to treat bronchopleural fistula using omentum in 1 patient an chest wall muscles in 3 patients. Their postoperative courses were uneventful.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.111-116
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• 2000

Pasteurella multocida, a Gram-negative coccobacillus, is part of the normal oral flora of many types of animals, including domestic dogs and cats. It is the etiologic agent of a variety of infectious diseases, such as hemorrhagic septicemia in cattle or fowl cholera in chicken. Although this is a primary pathogen in the animal world, infection due to Pasteurella multocida in man has been described with increasing frequency recently. The majority of individuals with Pasteurella multocida pulmonary infection possess some underlying pulmonary diseases, most commonly bronchiectasis or COPD. With a review of literature, We report a young man who developed the empyema caused by Pasteurella multocida.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.67 no.3
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• pp.239-243
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• 2009

Delftia acidovorans is a gram-negative motile rod found ubiquitously in soil and in water. Confirmed isolation from clinical infections is rare, and has been documented mostly in immunocompromised patients or those with indwelling catheters. A 53-year-old man was referred for the evaluation of a huge mass-like lesion found incidentally by chest X-ray. The lesion occupied more than half of the right lung and was diagnosed as a large loculated pleural effusion by CT scan. Bloody pus was drained through a percutaneous catheter, and D. acidovorans, identified by the Vitek GN card and confirmed by amplification of 16S ribosomal RNA and sequencing analysis, was isolated repeatedly from the drained pus. The patient was treated with imipenem/cilastatin to which the organism was sensitive. This is a rare report of chronic empyema associated with D. acidovorans in the respiratory system of an immunocompetent patient.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.108-111
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• 2005

Nephrotic syndrome is a common chronic disease in childhood. Patients with nephrotic syndrome are at an increased risk of bacterial Infections due to immunological changes secondary to proteinuria. Primary bacterial peritonitis is one of the most serious and common infectious complications. The rate of peritonitis is, 2-6% and overwhelming infection still carries a mortality rate of 1.5%. We experienced a rare case of nephrotic syndrome complicated with severe peritonitis and Peritoneal empyema in a 10-year old girl after 2 months of medical neglect by parents. Here we emphasize thf: importance of early detection and treatment of peritoneal infection in nephrotic syndrome.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.87-94
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• 1986

Empyema thoracis following pneumonia, intra-abdominal pathology, trauma, and surgical procedure continues to be a source of major morbidity and mortality. Thirty seven adult and eleven pediatric patients with empyema thoracis were treated at the University of Yeungnam Medical Center from May 1983 to November 1986. Age distribution ranged from 6 months to 72 years and showed a double-peaked curve with the highest incidence between 36 and 65 years and below 15 years of age. There were male predominence in patients above 16 years of age. The most common predisposing factors was impaired consciousness due to either alcoholism or head injury. The causes of empyema were as follows: pneumonia 64.6%, lung abscess 6.4%, intraabdominal pathology 6.4%, and surgical procedure 6.4%. The cardinal symptoms were fever, cough, chest pain, dyspnea, sputum, weight loss, anorexia, and night sweat in orders. Culture of empyema fluid were positive in 50% of patients. The isolated organisms were Gram-negative bacilli 33.3%, staphylococcus aureus 25%, and streptococcus 25%. The patients received antibiotics in conjunction with various invasive procedures : chest tube drainage 77.1%, decortication 6.3%, and repeated thoracentesis 10.3%. There were 4 deaths, 1 child and 3 adults, with a overall mortality of 8.3%.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.65 no.6
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• pp.537-540
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• 2008

There are few reports of the pleuropulmonary involvement of a non-typhi Salmonella infection in immunocompromised patients with AIDS, malignancy, collagen vascular diseases, extended use of corticosteroids, sickle cell disease, or diabetes. We report a case of a non-immunocompromised patient who presented with concomitant empyema and mediastinitis due to Salmonella without a comorbid disease. A 26-year-old male patient, with a history of pneumonia 5 years earlier and having lived abroad for several years, presented chronic cough and febrile sensation. Pneumonia, empyema and mediastinitis were noted in a chest CT scan and Salmonella enteritidis and ${\beta}-hemolytic$ streptococcus were identified from a culture of the pleural fluid. Initially, he was treated with cefepime, metronidazole and clarithromycin. He was cured clinically and radiographically after an 8 week treatment with antibiotics. In conclusion, this report suggests that S. enteritidis can cause empyema and mediastinitis, albeit rarely.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.110-115
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• 2012

Background: Pneumonectomy remains the ultimate curative treatment modality for destroyed lung caused by tuberculosis despite multiple risks involved in the procedure. We retrospectively evaluated patients who underwent pneumonectomy for treatment of sequelae of pulmonary tuberculosis to determine the risk factors of early and long-term outcomes. Materials and Methods: Between January 1980 and December 2008, pneumonectomy or pleuropneumonectomy was performed in 73 consecutive patients with destroyed lung caused by tuberculosis. There were 48 patients with empyema (12 with bronchopleural fistula [BPF]), 11 with aspergilloma and 7 with multidrug resistant tuberculosis. Results: There were 5 operative mortalities (6.8%). One patient had intraoperative uncontrolled arrhythmia, one had a postoperative cardiac arrest, and three had postoperative respiratory failure. A total of 29 patients (39.7%) suffered from postoperative complications. Twelve patients (16.7%) were found to have postpneumonectomy empyema (PPE), 4 patients had wound infections (5.6%), and 7 patients required re-exploration due to postoperative bleeding (9.7%). The prevalence of PPE increased in patients with preoperative empyema (p=0.019). There were five patients with postoperative BPF, four of which occurred in right-side operation. The only risk factor for BPF was the right-side operation (p=0.023). The 5- and 10-year survival rates were 88.9% and 76.2%, respectively. The risk factors for late deaths were old age (${\geq}50$ years, p=0.02) and low predicted postoperative forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) (< 1.2 L, p=0.02). Conclusion: Although PPE increases in patients with preoperative empyema and postoperative BPF increases in right-side operation, the mortality rates and long-term survival rates were found to be satisfactory. However, the follow-up care for patients with low predicted postoperative FEV1 should continue for prevention and early detection of pulmonary complication related to impaired pulmonary function.