Idiopathic CD4+ T lymphocytopenia disclosed by the onset of empyema thoracis.
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A 56-year-old man was admitted to our hospital in December 1996 due to empyema thoracis. A laboratory examination revealed lymphocytopenia and CD4+ T lymphocytopenia (<300 cells/ microl). No evidence for a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection was found. No malignant, hematological or autoimmune disease was detected. We thus diagnosed this case as being idiopathic CD4+ T lymphocytopenia (ICL). During his hospital treatment, he was affected with cytomegaloviral retinitis and cured by therapy. His subsequent treatment went well without a recurrence of severe infection although a low CD4+ T lymphocyte count continued after the recovery from empyema thoracis. (+info)
Use of fibrinolytic agents in the management of complicated parapneumonic effusions and empyemas.
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BACKGROUND: Standard treatment for pleural infection includes catheter drainage and antibiotics. Tube drainage often fails if the fluid is loculated by fibrinous adhesions when surgical drainage is needed. Streptokinase may aid the process of pleural drainage, but there have been no controlled trials to assess its efficacy. METHODS: Twenty four patients with infected community acquired parapneumonic effusions were studied. All had either frankly purulent/culture or Gram stain positive pleural fluid (13 cases; 54%) or fluid which fulfilled the biochemical criteria for pleural infection. Fluid was drained with a 14F catheter. The antibiotics used were cefuroxime and metronidazole or were guided by culture. Subjects were randomly assigned to receive intrapleural streptokinase, 250,000 IU daily, or control saline flushes for three days. The primary end points related to the efficacy of pleural drainage--namely, the volume of pleural fluid drained and the chest radiographic response to treatment. Other end points were the number of pleural procedures needed and blood indices of inflammation. RESULTS: The streptokinase group drained more pleural fluid both during the days of streptokinase/control treatment (mean (SD) 391 (200) ml versus 124 (44) ml; difference 267 ml, 95% confidence interval (CI) 144 to 390; p < 0.001) and overall (2564 (1663) ml versus 1059 (502) ml; difference 1505 ml, 95% CI 465 to 2545; p < 0.01). They showed greater improvement on the chest radiograph at discharge, measured as the fall in the maximum dimension of the pleural collection (6.0 (2.7) cm versus 3.4 (2.7) cm; difference 2.9 cm, 95% CI 0.3 to 4.4; p < 0.05) and the overall reduction in pleural fluid collection size (p < 0.05, two tailed Fisher's exact test). Systemic fibrinolysis and bleeding complications did not occur. Surgery was required by three control patients but none in the streptokinase group. CONCLUSIONS: Intrapleural streptokinase probably aids the treatment of pleural infections by improving pleural drainage without causing systemic fibrinolysis or local haemorrhage. (+info)
Empyema thoracis: a role for open thoracotomy and decortication.
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BACKGROUND: Thoracentesis and antibiotics remain the cornerstones of treatment in stage I empyema. The management of disease progression or late presentation is controversial. Open thoracotomy and decortication is perceived to be synonymous with protracted recovery and prolonged hospitalisation. Advocates of thoracoscopic adhesiolysis cite earlier chest drain removal and hospital discharge. This paper challenges traditional prejudice towards open surgery. METHODS: A five year audit of empyema cases referred to a regional cardiothoracic surgical unit analysing previous clinical course, surgical management, and outcome. RESULTS: Between February 1992 and February 1997, the number of referrals to this centre increased dramatically. Twenty-two children were referred for surgery (15 boys, seven girls; age range, 0.5-16 years). Before referral, patients had been unwell for 6-50 days (median, 15), had been treated with several antibiotics, and had undergone chest ultrasound (15 patients), computed tomography (five patients), pleural aspiration attempts (13 patients), and intercostal drainage (seven patients). The organism responsible was identified in only two cases (Streptococcus pneumoniae). Three patients had intraparenchymal abscess formation. Eighteen patients underwent open thoracotomy and decortication. Drain removal was performed on the first or second day. Fever resolved within 48 hours. Median hospital stay was four days. All patients had complete clinical and radiological resolution. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment must be tailored to the disease stage. In stage II and III diseases, open decortication followed by early drain removal results in rapid symptomatic recovery, early hospital discharge, and complete resolution. In the early fibrinopurulent phase, alternative strategies should be considered. However, even in ideal cases, neither fibrinolysis nor thoracoscopic adhesiolysis can achieve more rapid resolution at lower risk. (+info)
Empirical treatment with fibrinolysis and early surgery reduces the duration of hospitalization in pleural sepsis.
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The efficacy of three different treatment protocols was compared: 1) simple chest tube drainage (Drain); 2) adjunctive intrapleural streptokinase (IP-SK); and 3) an aggressive empirical approach incorporating SK and early surgical drainage (SK+early OP) in patients with pleural empyema and high-risk parapneumonic effusions. This was a nonrandomized, prospective, controlled time series study of 82 consecutive patients with community-acquired empyema (n=68) and high-risk parapneumonic effusions (n=14). The following three treatment protocols were administered in sequence over 6 years: 1) Drain (n=29, chest catheter drainage); 2) IP-SK (n=23, adjunctive intrapleural fibrinolysis with 250,000 U x day(-1) SK); and 3) SK+early OP (n=30, early surgical drainage was offered to patients who failed to respond promptly following initial drainage plus SK). The average duration of hospital stay in the SK+early OP group was significantly shorter than in the Drain and IP-SK groups. The mortality rate was also significantly lower in the SK+early OP than the Drain groups (3 versus 24%). It was concluded that an empirical treatment strategy which combines adjunctive intrapleural fibrinolysis with early surgical intervention results in shorter hospital stays and may reduce mortality in patients with pleural sepsis. (+info)
Thoracic blastomycosis and empyema.
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Blastomycosis is endemic in river valley areas of the southeastern and Midwestern United States. Pulmonary manifestations include chronic cough and pleuritic pain. Radiographic appearance of the infection can mimic bronchogenic lung carcinoma. Pleural effusion is rarely associated with this pulmonary infection, and empyema has not been previously reported. We report a case of pulmonary and pleural Blastomyces dermatitidis infection presenting as empyema thoracis. Diagnosis and treatment were attained with video-assisted thoracoscopic (VATS) pleural and lung biopsy and debridement. (+info)
Pleural empyema: An unusual presentation of esophageal perforation.
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A 67-year-old patient presented with pleural empyema as the sole manifestation of thoracic esophageal perforation, 2 weeks after accidental fish bone ingestion. Nonspecific chest pain and general deterioration, unusual presenting symptoms in themselves, accounted for the extreme delay in the diagnosis. The empyema was treated surgically, and the esophageal perforation conservatively. Despite the poor prognostic factors, the patient recovered completely after 50 days in hospital. (+info)
A variant of pyothorax-associated lymphoma.
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A case of pleural lymphoma that developed after an episode of empyema is described. This may be a variant presentation of the rare yet distinct condition termed pyothorax-associated lymphoma. This condition was first recognised in Japan; there have been only a few reports in Western countries to date. A feature of this case is the relatively short interval between diagnosis of empyema and subsequent development of lymphoma. (+info)
Surgical management of primary lung cancer in an elderly patient with preoperative empyema.
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A 74-year-old man with primary lung cancer developed preoperative empyema but was successfully managed surgically. The patient was given a diagnosis of c-T2N1M0, stage IIB, moderately differentiated squamous cell carcinoma, but before surgery pneumothorax and empyema developed, resulting from rupture of the carcinoma. Thoracic drainage, lavage and systemic administration of antibiotics improved his empyema. As there were no malignant cells in the drainage fluid, right middle-lower bilobectomy, empyemal cavity resection and lymph node dissection were performed. The bronchial stump was covered with an intercostal muscle flap. Thoracic drainage, lavage and systemic administration of antibiotics were performed for 6 days following the operation. The patient was discharged on the 27th postoperative day without any complications having developed. The pathological diagnosis of the tumor was p-T4N2(#7)M0, stage IIIB, br(-), ly(+), v(+), p3(pleura), pm1 and d0. He died of recurrence at home 18 months after the operation. We believe the following to be the minimum requirements for surgical management of such patients: (1) immediate thoracic cavity drainage and lavage with systemic antibiotic therapy, aiming at infection control before surgery; (2) prophylactic lavage of the thoracic cavity during and after surgery and (3) coverage of the bronchial stump with an adequate flap. Six reported cases of primary lung cancer with preoperative empyema are also discussed. (+info)