BACKGROUND Although recent reports suggest that the incidence of parapneumonic empyema has increased in several regions of the USA, national trends in disease burden are unknown. National trends in the incidence of parapneumonic empyema hospitalisations and changes in empyema by associated pathogens were examined. METHODS National hospitalisation data (1996-2008) were analysed and rates estim...

OBJECTIVE Health care databases are a valuable source for epidemiological research in respiratory diseases if diagnoses are valid. We validated the International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision (ICD-10) diagnosis of pleural empyema in the Danish National Registry of Patients (DNRP). METHODS We randomly selected hospitalized patients registered in the DNRP with a discharge diagnosis ...

BACKGROUND Pleural empyema can be subdivided into 3 stages: exudative, multiloculated, and organizing. In the absence of clear septation, antibiotics plus simple drainage of pleural fluid is often sufficient treatment, whereas clear septation often requires more invasive treatment. OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to report our experience and analyze the safety and efficacy of medical tho...

Refractory empyema occasionally reflects hidden malignant disease. We presented a rare case of rapidly progressive malignant mesothelioma of the pleura (MPM) mimicking empyema. Physicians should be aware of MPM when patients with empyema are refractory to the standard treatment, and PET-CT may be helpful in establishing a precise diagnosis in such cases.

A 5 year old girl with thoracic empyema developed a scarlatiniform rash and acral desquamation. Cultures from blood, throat, and pleural fluid all grew Streptococcus pyogenes, a common etiologic agent of pediatric thoracic empyema. The presence of a scarlatiniform rash and acral desquamation in children with a thoracic empyema may help identify the causative organism.

Malignant tumors associated with chronic empyema have been reported in the literature, and a majority of these tumors are lymphomas. Epithelial tumors originating from the post-pneumonectomy space in patients with chronic empyema are extremely rare. Here, we present the cases of 2 patients with squamous cell carcinoma arising from the pleural cavity after pneumonectomy for chronic empyema.

OBJECTIVE This study aimed to investigate the association between splenectomy and empyema in Taiwan. METHODS A population-based cohort study was conducted using the hospitalisation dataset of the Taiwan National Health Insurance Program. A total of 13 193 subjects aged 20-84 years who were newly diagnosed with splenectomy from 2000 to 2010 were enrolled in the splenectomy group and 52 464 ran...

BACKGROUND The incidence of childhood pneumonia decreased following introduction of 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) in the United States. Recent regional reports suggest an increase in the incidence of childhood pneumonia complicated by empyema. We assessed whether early decreases in pneumonia hospitalization rates were sustained and trends in such hospitalizations complicated by...

BACKGROUND The role of drainage, intrapleural fibrinolytics, and/or surgery in the management of thoracic empyema is controversial. OBJECTIVES We aimed to investigate the operational practice of empyema management at our hospital. METHODS Between January 2001 and December 2008, all patients with thoracic empyema were retrieved. After exclusion of patients with malignant effusion, traumatic ...