Many types of infections associated with colorectal cancer have been reported. Here, we describe a rare case of thoracic empyema that was observed during immunotherapy for recurrent colon cancer. Culture of the pleural fluid yielded Streptococcus bovis, which is known to be associated with gastrointestinal lesions, especially colorectal malignancies. The possible correlation between these two c...

Pleural infection is a frequent clinical condition. Prompt treatment has been shown to reduce hospital costs, morbidity and mortality. Recent advances in treatment have been variably implemented in clinical practice. This statement reviews the latest developments and concepts to improve clinical management and stimulate further research. The European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EAC...

We report the first case of thoracic empyema associated with Campylobacter curvus infection. A 65-year-old woman with a history of bronchiectasis presented with acute cough and phlegm. The patient reported dyspnoea and left chest pain accompanied by left pleural effusion, despite treatment with sitafloxacin. Curved Gram-negative rods, eventually identified as C. curvus using 16S ribosomal RNA- ...

Pleural infection is a disease of historical importance and is still a modern menace, with incidences rising in adults and children, and a significant mortality in adults. Basic research is hampered by limitations with in vivo models, and the bacteriology of empyema is complex. The role of thoracic ultrasound in guiding investigation and drainage of empyema is clear. Prompt treatment with appro...

Twenty-nine adult patients with culture-positive thoracic empyema were seen at the University Hospital Kuala Lumpur from 1984 to 1988. Cough, fever, chest pain, dyspnoea and weight loss were the common presenting symptoms. The empyema in 16 patients was associated with primary bronchopulmonary infections, nine occurred following thoracentesis of culture-sterile pleural effusions, two occurred a...

Thoracic empyema has become an uncommon disease in adults, tending to occur in chronically ill debilitated individuals. In this series, pulmonary infection was the underlying cause in more than half the cases, with bronchogenic carcinoma or other serious lung disease present in one fifth of the pulmonary infections. Thoracic surgery preceded almost one quarter of all cases. Staphylococcus aureu...

We report herein a case of thoracic infection due to Nocardia nova following lung re-transplantation performed for emphysema related to alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency. The infection extended from the lung into the pleural space, thoracic wall, and mediastinum, presenting as pericarditis and empyema necessitatis. Nocardia nova was identified by 16S ribosomal deoxyribonucleic acid (rDNA) sequenci...

INTRODUCTION In cases of empyema, some form of intervention, either chest tube drainage, thoracoscopy, video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS), or thoracotomy, with or without pleural fibrinolysis, is required. What the best approach is and when and how to intervene is a matter of debate. STUDY OBJECTIVE To analyze the safety and outcome of medical thoracoscopy in the treatment of multiloculat...