Bronchogenic carcinoma presenting as pleural empyema

Risk of empyema in patients with COPD

“…Empyema in patients with a cancer history may be due to immunosuppression, disease complications of cancer, and the influence of pneumonia or necrotic tissue after chemotherapy or invasive procedures. 21 The incidence of empyema in patients with primary lung cancer is low, ranging from 0.1% to 0.3%. 22 The differentiation between empyema and cancer is not always clear, and managing empyema in patients with cancer remains challenging.…”

Metastatic Lung Cancer Presenting as Thoracic Empyema in an Old Patient

“…Some chest radiographic findings, such as new air-fluid levels, destruction of bone, soft tissue bulges in the chest wall and increased dens- ity in the thoracic cavity, can be suspicious of malignancy (7,9). Further studies of the pleural fluid should be conducted, including erythrocyte/leukocyte counts, gram staining, cultures, and cytological examinations (5). Although the symptoms and laboratory tests all indicated the empyema preoperatively, a biopsy specimen showed metastatic adenocarcinoma of the lung in our case.…”

“…Although the symptoms and laboratory tests all indicated the empyema preoperatively, a biopsy specimen showed metastatic adenocarcinoma of the lung in our case. It is difficult to make such a diagnosis preoperatively, and prognoses are significantly worsened when metastasis is found (5,10). Positron emission tomography-CT imaging has been reported to be helpful in determining the extent of tumour and in surgical planning (9).…”

“…Positron emission tomography-CT imaging has been reported to be helpful in determining the extent of tumour and in surgical planning (9). Treatment of lung cancer-associated empyema first targets the empyema, and surgical interventions can improve the quality of life in selected patients (5). Before surgery, immediate drainage and systemic antibiotic therapy should be performed to control infection (11).…”