• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.125-132
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• 1976

The author made clinical study of 100 cases of empyema in infancy and childhood that were treated at the Department of Chest Surgery, Busan University Hospital and Busan Children's Charity Hospital, from Jan 1962 to Nov. 1975. 1. In infancy and childhood, 62 cases out of my 100 cases of empyema were caused by .staphylococci and most of recent reports showed a gradual increase in number of staphylococcal empyema. 2. Most frequent lesion predisposing to empyema in infancy and childhood was pneumonia (72%), being remarkable in staphylococcal empyema (85.5%) to that of others. 3. Antibiotics sensitivity test for staphylococci revealed that the erythromycin was most susceptible (85. 5%). 4. The mortality rate was 6% in over all and the author believes that from the point of view of surgical treatment, failure of early continuous drainage on account of multiple thoracentesis for the early stage of empyema, and also early open thoracotomy procedure such as decortication were all the contributing factors to higher mortality in the empyema of infancy and childhood. 5. It may be concluded that the treatment of choice for empyema in infancy and childhood were early and prolonged continuous drainage of pus by closed thoracotomy with caution and administration of more susceptible antibiotics with nutritional support.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.744-749
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• 1986

Even in the hands of the expert endoscopists, an occasional instrumental perforation of the esophagus occurs. But instrumental perforation of the esophagus should not be difficult to diagnose if the possibility is borne in mind. Occasionally patient with esophageal perforations show little reaction at first, but usually they develop systemic manifestation if surgical management is delayed. Early surgical drainage of esophageal perforation is very important & effective therapeutic method. The delayed surgical treatment of esophageal perforation would have increased the morbidity & mortality by allowing mediastinitis & empyema thoracis. We have experienced 6 cases of delayed surgical management of instrumental perforation of esophagus from May 1974 to April 1986 in the department of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery, Yonsei University, college of the medicine. The ages ranged from 4 years to 57 years. The underlying esophageal diseases consisted of esophageal stricture in 3 cases, foreign bodies in the esophagus in 2 cases and esophageal ca. in one case. Most clinical manifestations on admission were high fever, chest discomfort, chest pain, dysphagia and subcutaneous emphysema. Most complications due to esophageal rupture were acute mediastinitis with or without empyema thoracis. Failure to diagnose promptly and failure to promptly institute adequate treatment undoubtedly were largely responsible for this patients death. All 6 patients had been taken delayed surgical drainage more than 24 hours following esophageal perforation. One patient had been in the open drainage state for long time and the another patient has been in the tracheostomy with postintubation vocal cord ulceration. The third patient died due to respiratory failure and sepsis due to fulminant mediastinitis & empyema thoracis. Even if the patients with esophageal perforation have been taken delayed surgical management, the patients should be survived with aggressive & effective surgical drainage with intensive post-operative care.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.61 no.5
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• pp.463-472
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• 2006

Background: Since video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) was introduced as a new treatment modality for empyema thoracis, numerous reports have suggested that VATS is a more effective treatment method than the traditional methods that mainly use antibiotics and drainage apparatus. However, no confirmative evidence of the superiority of VATS over the traditional method has been provided yet. Methods: We attempted to evaluate the efficacy of VATS for the treatment of empyema thoracis by reviewing past medical records and simple chest films. First, we divided the patients into two groups based on the treatment method: group A of 15 patients who were treated with the traditional method between January 2001 and December 2003, and group B of 9 patients who were treated with VATS between December 2003 and August 2006. The final outcomes used in this study were the number of days of hospital stay, chest tube duration, leukocytosis duration, febrile duration, and intravenous antibiotics usage duration. In addition, radiological improvements were compared. Results: The mean age(${\pm}$standard deviation) of 11 men and 4 women in group A was $58.2{\pm}15.7$ years, and of 9 men and 2 women in group B was $51.6{\pm}9.5$ years. Group B had a significantly shorter hospital stay ($16.6{\pm}7.4$ vs. $33.7{\pm}22.6$ days; p=0.014), shorter chest tube duration ($10.5{\pm}5.7$ vs. $19.5{\pm}14.4$ days; p=0.039), shorter leukocytosis duration ($6.7{\pm}6.5$ vs. $18.8{\pm}13.2$ days; p=0.008), shorter febrile duration ($0.8{\pm}1.8$ vs. $9.4{\pm}9.2$ days; p=0.004), and shorter duration of intravenous antibiotics usage ($14.9{\pm}6.4$ vs. $25.4{\pm}13.9$ days; p=0.018). However, radiological improvements did not show any statistical differences. Conclusion: Early application of VATS for empyema thoracis treatment reduced hospital stay, thoracostomy tube duration, leukocytosis duration, febrile duration, and antibiotics usage duration in comparison with the traditional methods. The early performing of VATS might be an effective treatment modality for empyema thoracis.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.1213-1220
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• 1990

During the period of January 1979 to December 1988, 220 patients with empyema thoracis were treated in the department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Chonnam National University Medical School Hospital. There were 167 males[75.9%] and 53 females[24.1%] ranging from 18 days to 76 years of age. Occurrence ratio of left and right empyema was 1 : 1.9. The underlying pathologic lesions of empyema were pneumonia[30.9%], pulmonary tuberculosis[22.7%], chest trauma[8.6%] and postoperative complications. In bacteriologic study, staphylococcus, pseudomonas and streptococcus accounted for 26.4%, 11.8% and 9% respectively, and 25% were not identified. Surgical treatment modalities were thoracentesis[10 patients, 4.5%], closed thoracostomy[132, 60%], closed rib resection drainage[4.2, 6%], modified Eloesser’s operation[37, 16.8%], decortication[27, 12.3%], decortication with pulmonary resection[6, 2.7%], thoracoplasty[2, 0.9%], muscle flap closure [1, 0.5%], and staged pneumonectomy[1, 0.5%], The mortality rate was 2.3% and the complications were sepsis[9 patients]. acute renal failure[4], and paralytic ileus[3].

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.862-866
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• 1989

We are experienced one case of \ulcornerinchu" method operation for chronic thoracic empyema with bronchopleural fistula. A 30-years old male was admitted to our hospital because of right thoracic empyema. In spite of pleural tube drainage, the right entire lung was poorly expanded. The right upper lobectomy and decortication for visceral side of empyema peel were done but expansion of right middle and lower lobe was not enough to fill the pleural space remained Extraperiosteal detachment without performing thoracoplasty was done as the method proposed by Kinchu. The patient recovered without significant problem and the good expansion of remained lung with acceptable pulmonary function was obtained.ined.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.87-94
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• 1986

Empyema thoracis following pneumonia, intra-abdominal pathology, trauma, and surgical procedure continues to be a source of major morbidity and mortality. Thirty seven adult and eleven pediatric patients with empyema thoracis were treated at the University of Yeungnam Medical Center from May 1983 to November 1986. Age distribution ranged from 6 months to 72 years and showed a double-peaked curve with the highest incidence between 36 and 65 years and below 15 years of age. There were male predominence in patients above 16 years of age. The most common predisposing factors was impaired consciousness due to either alcoholism or head injury. The causes of empyema were as follows: pneumonia 64.6%, lung abscess 6.4%, intraabdominal pathology 6.4%, and surgical procedure 6.4%. The cardinal symptoms were fever, cough, chest pain, dyspnea, sputum, weight loss, anorexia, and night sweat in orders. Culture of empyema fluid were positive in 50% of patients. The isolated organisms were Gram-negative bacilli 33.3%, staphylococcus aureus 25%, and streptococcus 25%. The patients received antibiotics in conjunction with various invasive procedures : chest tube drainage 77.1%, decortication 6.3%, and repeated thoracentesis 10.3%. There were 4 deaths, 1 child and 3 adults, with a overall mortality of 8.3%.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.637-644
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• 1992

The incidence of thoracic empyema has been reduced with the advent of antimicrobial agents. But, there are remained many significant problems in the management of thoracic empyema because of the empyema associated with bronchopleural fistula, other complications, This is a clinical analysis of 76 cases of thoracic empyema who had been treated from August 1975 to July 1991 in the Chest Surgery Department, Chung-Ang University Hospital. This report dealed with the incidence, etiology and symptoms, duration of hospital stay, therapeutic methods and review of literatures in the aspect of thoracic empyema, The results were as follows: 1. Predominance of male [3 : 1] and right side [1.5 : 1] were recorded. 2. The main symptom was the chest pain [55%], dyspnea[36%], fever[33%], cough [23%] and others. 3, The most common predisposing causatic diseases were pulmonary tuberculosis[33%] and pneumonia[31%], but also uncertain cases were 15%.4. Searching for the causatic organisms, there were not-identified[49%], streptoccocci [17%], staphylococci[12%], mixed infection[12%], AFB bacilli[7%]. 5. The range of hospital stay was from 6 to 146 days and the average duration was 29.4 days, 6. The results were good as the methods of closed thoracostomy[52%], decortication [23%], thoracentesis[15%], rib resection and drainage[4%], open drainage[4%], pleuropneumonectomy [4%]. 7. The serious complications or mortality didn`t developed.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.403-410
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• 1979

A Clinical analysis of 64 patients of thoracic empyema was done who received surgical intervention at Dept. of Thoracic Surgery of the Chosun University Hospital in the period of 3 years from September 1976 to October 1979. Following was the results: 1. Seven cases [10.9%] were under the age of 15 years, 16 cases [25%] was between 15-30 years and 41 cases [64.1%] was above the age of 30 years. A proportion of children and adult was 1:8. 2. Male and female ratio was 3:1. Right and left side pleural cavity ratio was 2.4:1. 3. Predisposing factors were pneumonia [35.9%] and pulmonary tuberculosis [28.1%]. 4. Most frequently encountered symptoms were dyspnea, cough, chest pain and fever in order. 5. Etiologic organisms were confirmed in 39 cases [86.7%] which requested in 45 cases. Staphylococcal infections were 11 cases and streptococcal, pneumococcal pseudomonas infection was infected in order. 6. Pneumothorax was associated with empyema on 21 cases [32.8%]; among those 13 cases [61.9%] were tuberculous in nature. 7. Sensitivity test was revealed that Minocin was most very sensitive drug, and next Erythromycin, Gentamycin and Penbrex in order. But most resistant drugs were Penicillin, Kanamycin, Streptomycin and Tetracycline in order. 8. Treatments were combined with antibiotics therapy and several surgical procedures for empyema. 26 cases [40.6%] were treated with closed thoracotomy drainage, 17 cases [26.6%] with open thoracotomy tube drainage and 9 cases decortication and 9 cases thoracoplasty. 9. 2 death cases occurred in 64 cases of thoracic empyema, and 79.7% cases were discharged with recovery and improvement.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.63-66
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• 1996

Postoperative empyema thoracis with bronchopleural fistula (BPF) Is uncommon but serious complication. The management remains troublesome area in the field of the general thoracic surgery During the period of October 1993 to December 1994, four patients with postresectional empyema thoracic with BPF were treated consecutively in Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hosp tal. The treatment procedures include irrigation and debridement of the empyema cavity and muscle flap transposition. Follow-up periods after surgery were 4-12 months. Three patients were thought successful, one patient failed. We think that the cause of failure is muscle necrosis of rectos abdominis muscle flap due to vascular injury and infection of muscle due to residual infected debridement of empyema cavity.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.273-276
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• 2018

We report the rare case of a 58-year-old woman who was diagnosed with fungal empyema thoracis combined with osteoradionecrosis. After 32 months of home care followed by open window thoracostomy, thoracoplasty with serratus anterior muscle transposition and a latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap was performed successfully. Although thoracoplasty is now rarely indicated, it is still the treatment of choice for the complete obliteration of thoracic spaces.