Use of video-assisted thoracoscopy surgery for the treatment of Aspergillus empyema with bronchopleural fistula.

Abstract

Pulmonary aspergillus empyema with bronchopleural fistula is a rare and severe disease with a poor prognosis. In this report, we describe the successful surgical treatment of this condition in a 34-year-old man who was initially hospitalized due to complications of chronic hepatitis B. While under artificial liver therapy and as a consequence of long-term corticosteroid use, the patient developed invasive pulmonary aspergillosis, which was further complicated by an empyema and a bronchopleural fistula.Video-assisted thoracoscopy surgery was performed following failure of the prescribed antifungal treatment and chest tube drainage, and the empyema resolved completely 3 months postoperatively,with no evidence of recurrence after 5 months' follow-up.

• Authors: Q Feng, L Ma, G Gabrielle, G-W Yu
• Journal: The Thoracic and cardiovascular surgeon (Thorac Cardiovasc Surg) Vol. 56 Issue 6 Pg. 370-2 (Sep 2008) ISSN: 0171-6425 [Print] Germany
• PMID: 18704863 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Antifungal Agents

Topics

• Adult
• Antifungal Agents (therapeutic use)
• Bronchial Fistula (diagnostic imaging, microbiology, surgery)
• Empyema (diagnostic imaging, microbiology, surgery)
• Humans
• Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis (complications, diagnostic imaging, microbiology, surgery)
• Male
• Pleural Diseases (diagnostic imaging, microbiology, surgery)
• Respiratory Tract Fistula (diagnostic imaging, microbiology, surgery)
• Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted
• Tomography, X-Ray Computed
• Treatment Outcome