TY - JOUR
T1 - A pulmonary abscess, beware of lung cancer!
AU - Hendriks, L. E.L.
AU - Hochstenbag, M. M.H.
AU - Lalji, U. C.
AU - Dingemans, A. M.C.
PY - 2011
Y1 - 2011
N2 - A pulmonary abscess is defined as necrosis of the pulmonary parenchym caused by microbial infections. The most common organisms are anaerobe bacteria. Local conditions, host resistance and infecting agents all play a role in the formation of pulmonary abscesses. An underlying endobronchial obstructing lung cancer predisposes for the development of a pulmonary abscess. The diagnosis of lung cancer can often be made with computed tomography (CT) of the chest combined with bronchoscopy and cytological analysis of the abscess fluid. We present two patients with a pulmonary abscess caused by an underlying lung cancer. Although in both cases the differential diagnosis was malignancy at first presentation, the diagnosis could not be made definitively prior to surgery, despite intensive investigations with even CT guided biopsies and mediastinoscopy.
AB - A pulmonary abscess is defined as necrosis of the pulmonary parenchym caused by microbial infections. The most common organisms are anaerobe bacteria. Local conditions, host resistance and infecting agents all play a role in the formation of pulmonary abscesses. An underlying endobronchial obstructing lung cancer predisposes for the development of a pulmonary abscess. The diagnosis of lung cancer can often be made with computed tomography (CT) of the chest combined with bronchoscopy and cytological analysis of the abscess fluid. We present two patients with a pulmonary abscess caused by an underlying lung cancer. Although in both cases the differential diagnosis was malignancy at first presentation, the diagnosis could not be made definitively prior to surgery, despite intensive investigations with even CT guided biopsies and mediastinoscopy.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=81155134138&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.rmedc.2011.05.001
DO - 10.1016/j.rmedc.2011.05.001
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:81155134138
SN - 2213-0071
VL - 4
SP - 157
EP - 159
JO - Respiratory Medicine CME
JF - Respiratory Medicine CME
IS - 4
ER -