Background: Empyema is not rare in Vietnam and in the world. Objective: To study clinical, subclinical manifestations and lung CT-scan images of patients with empyema. Subjects and method: A study included 50 patients of empyema treated in Department of Respiratory of Bach Mai Hospital, from January 2003 to August 2005. This was a retrospective, prospective, descriptive, cross-sectional, controlled study. Results and conclusions: Most empyema commonly occurred in the setting of bacterial pneumonia. Empyema was common in males and the male-to-female ratio was 2.82. The onset of empyema was suddenly with clearly infection syndrome (high fever, increased WBC count, accelerated erythrocyte sedimentation rate), chest pain, and cough. CT images of empyema were ipsilateral; almost empyema was free pleural effusion and moderate in size. Thickening pleura was 72% and located pleura were 42%. Positive culture of pleural fluid was very low (24%). Gram (-) bacteria was predominant (P. Aeruginosa 33.3%, K. Pneumoniae 25%).
Empyema ; Pleural/diagnosis ; radiography

Pleural involvement in paragonimiasis is relatively common, either unilateral or bilateral, and may occur without pulmonary parenchymal infiltrates. Common radiologic findings of pleural paragonimiasis are pleural effusion, pneumothorax, hydropneumothorax, empyema and pleural thickening. However, pleural calcification as a manifestation of paragonimiasis is a rare condition. We report two cases of paragonimiasis manifested only as pleural calcifications which were confirmed pathologically.
Empyema ; Hydropneumothorax ; Paragonimiasis* ; Pleural Effusion ; Pneumothorax

Background: Standard treatment for pleural infection includes of drainage and antibiotics. Chest tube drainage often fails if the fluid is loculated by fibrinous adhesions. Intrapleural fibrinolysis may facilitate pleural drainage. Objective: To evaluate the role of Streptokinase (STK) in the treatment of empyema and exudative pleural effusions. Subjects and method: A study included 34 patients (21 patients with exudative pleural effusions, 13 patients with empyema), aged 15-77 years. All patients received intrapleural STK daily with dose of 300.0000-500.000 UI for empyema and 300.000 UI for exudative pleural effusions. Response was assessed by clinical outcome, pleural fluid drainage, chest radiography, pleural ultrasound. Results: Mean pleural fluid drainage after STK instillation was higher in all patients. Pleural fluid drainage was 640 \xb1 494 ml before STK instillation and 823 \xb1 755 ml after STK instillation for empyema; 765 \xb1 691 ml before STK instillation and 1,033 \xb1 757 ml after STK instillation for exudative pleural effusions. The success rate of clinical outcome was 100%. Only 2 patients required decortications. Fever occurred in 3 patients (8.8%) and allergy in 1 patient (3%). Conclusions: Intrapleural STK was safe and effective in the treatment of empyema and exudative pleural effusions. STK prevents pleural adhesions and reduces the risks for surgery.
Streptokinase/ therapeutic use ; Empyema ; Pleural/therapy ; Pleural Effusion/ therapy

PURPOSE: To describe radiologic differences between tuberculous pleural effusion and empyema on the basis of computed tomography(CT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed retrosepectively CT findings of 50 patients with pathologically and grossly proved empyema. Twenty-two patients had empyema, and 28 patients had tuberculous pleurisy. RESULTS: CT findings known to be useful in differentiating tuberculous pleural effusion from empyema (1) contour and extent of pleural thickening, (2) mediastinal pleural involvement, (3)accumulation of extrapleural tissue and (4) change of ipsilateral thoraic volume of empyema. However, none of the above findings were helpful in the differential diagnosis of empyema. CONCLUSION: The differentation of tubrculous pleurisy from pyogenic empyema may be not possible with CT findings only.
Diagnosis, Differential ; Empyema* ; Humans ; Pleural Effusion* ; Pleurisy ; Tuberculosis, Pleural

Treatment of huge chronic tuberculous empyema with cardiopulmonary dysfunction. Drainage of empyemal space by closed thoracostomy in chronic tuberculous empyema is generally contraindicated because of the possibility of empyema necessitatis and ascending infection. But in case that serious cardiopulmonary dysfunction is present, drainage of empyema and decompression is necessary. We experienced a case in which chronic tuberculous empyema was big enough to cause mediastinal shifting and cardiopulmonary failure. Immediate drainage of pleural cavity with tube thoracostomy was performed. Afterward, pleuropneumonectomy was done following cyclic irrigation for one month. The patient had successful postoperative course without any evidence of complication or relapse of infection.
Decompression ; Drainage ; Empyema ; Empyema, Tuberculous* ; Humans ; Pleural Cavity ; Recurrence ; Thoracostomy ; Tuberculosis, Pleural

Chronic expanding hematoma of the thorax is a specific subtype of the chronic empyema. It presents as a slowly expanding intrathoracic mass which result in dyspnea or recurrent hemoptysis. The symptoms develop months or years after tuberculous pleurisy, trauma or surgery. Usually, it shows three common findings: a giant mass lesion in the thorax, some surrounding calcifications, the absence of signs or symptoms of infection. We report a case of chronic expanding hematoma of the thorax, initially presenting as massive hemoptysis through bronchopleural fistula which resulted in radiologic findings of new air-fluid level within the previous pleural lesion filled with unknown materials.
Dyspnea ; Empyema ; Fistula ; Hematoma ; Hemoptysis ; Thorax ; Tuberculosis, Pleural

Non-typhoid salmonella infection frequently associated with bacteremia has rarely been reported in immunocompromized patients with malignant neoplasms, diabetes or extended use of corticosteroids. Especially, concomitant pleural empyema and pericarditis due to non-typhoid salmonella infection is extremely rare. Here, we report a case of concomitant empyema and pericarditis in malignant thymoma with pleural metastasis complicated by salmonella group D infection with brief review of literature.
Adrenal Cortex Hormones ; Bacteremia ; Empyema* ; Empyema, Pleural ; Humans ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Pericarditis* ; Salmonella Infections ; Salmonella* ; Thymoma*

Salmonella are motile, gram-negative, non-spore-forming members of the family Enterobacteriaceae. Among nontyphoid Salmonella serotypes, Salmonella choleraesuis shows a high predilection to cause systemic infections in humans. Thoracic infection is a rare complication of Salmonella infection. So far, most of reported cases of empyema caused by Salmonella spp. have involved immunocompromised patients. Herein, as we had experienced one case of thoracic empyema due to Salmonella choleraesuis related thymoma, we report it with review of literature.
Empyema ; Empyema, Pleural* ; Enterobacteriaceae ; Humans ; Immunocompromised Host ; Salmonella Infections ; Salmonella* ; Thymoma

Salmonella are motile, gram-negative, non-spore-forming members of the family Enterobacteriaceae. Among nontyphoid Salmonella serotypes, Salmonella choleraesuis shows a high predilection to cause systemic infections in humans. Thoracic infection is a rare complication of Salmonella infection. So far, most of reported cases of empyema caused by Salmonella spp. have involved immunocompromised patients. Herein, as we had experienced one case of thoracic empyema due to Salmonella choleraesuis related thymoma, we report it with review of literature.
Empyema ; Empyema, Pleural* ; Enterobacteriaceae ; Humans ; Immunocompromised Host ; Salmonella Infections ; Salmonella* ; Thymoma

Most mediastinal teratomas are histologically well-differentiated tumors and benign. The majority of patients with a mediastinal teratoma are asymptomatic and their tumors are usually discovered incidentally on chest radiography. On rare occasions this tumor will rupture spontaneously into the adjacent organs. A 72-year-old female patient was admitted for dyspnea and she had a multiloculated pleural effusion in the left lung field. Although repeated pleural biopsy and pleural fluid cytology did not prove the presence of malignancy, we assumed that this was a malignant effusion because it revealed consistently high levels of carcinoembryonic antigen and carbohydrate antigen 19-9, and the chest CT scan did not show typical fat or bone density in the mass. Secondary infection and an uncontrolled septic condition due to pleural empyema finally compelled the patient to undergo a surgical operation. Mature teratoma was the final diagnosis and she has done well without recurrence for 2 months.
Aged ; Biopsy ; Bone Density ; Carcinoembryonic Antigen ; Coinfection ; Dyspnea ; Empyema ; Empyema, Pleural ; Female ; Humans ; Lung ; Pleural Effusion ; Recurrence ; Rupture ; Teratoma ; Thorax