EC Pulmonology and Respiratory Medicine

Summary: Association of pleural empyema and mediastinitis is not exceptional and the etiologies can be multiple. The most frequent etiologies in our setting is pleural tuberculosis and pulmonary hydatid cysts ruptured in the pleural space. Concerning mediastinitis, the etiology is predominated by sternotomy after cardia surgery. The management is based on the antibiotic therapy, chest tube drainage and respiratory physiotherapy. The normal procedure in this association of diseases is to perform chest tube drainage for pleural empyema and mediastinal drainage for mediastinitis if there is a collection. In this case report, he was a patient of 20 years old who presents a pleural empyema associated to mediastinitis treated only by antibiotic therapy and chest tube drainage placed at the level of 8th intercostals right space, with added holes in the tube in order to raise the efficiency of this drainage.

 Keywords: Pleural Empyema; Mediastinitis; Drainage; Odontogenic Infection

1. Harmouchi H., et al. “Surgical management of pyothorax: A series of 172 cases”. Open Journal of Thoracic Surgery 8 (2018): 50-56.
2. M Bouchikh., et al. “Intrapleural rupture of pulmonary hydatid cysts”. Revue de Pneumologie Clinique 4 (2014): 203-207.
3. E John., et al. “Pleural effusions and empyema”. Respiratory Infections 22 (2001): 297-312.
4. J Letheulle., et al. “Parapneumonic pleural effusions: Epidemiology, diagnosis, classification and management”. Revue des Maladies Respiratoires4 (2015): 344-357.
5. M Krüger., et al. “Surgical treatment of acute mediastinitis”. Chirurg6 (2016): 478-485.
6. Filosso PL., et al. “Errors and complications in chest tube placement”. Thoracic Surgery Clinics 1 (2017): 57-67.
7. Harmouchi Hicham., et al. “Management of pleural empyema in the setting of an African country: An article review”. EC Pulmonology and Respiratory Medicine1 (2020): 01-09.