A case of hydropneumothorax

Abstract

A 19-year-old girl was admitted because of fever, cough and suddenly occurred chest pain. One month earlier she had experienced a fever and cough, then she had felt sudden chest pain 2 weeks prior to the admission. A chest X-ray showed left pneumothorax and massive pleural effusion. A diagnosis of hydropneumothorax was made. In spite of the chest tube drainage, reexpansion of the lung was unsatisfactory. Thoracotomy and decortication of the lung resulted in good reexpansion. Histological finding revealed pleuritis due to bacterial peribronchial infection, which resulted in hydropneumothorax, namely an abscess ruptured to the pleural cavity.