Description
Lung infections will sometimes develop infectious fluid and material that the body tries to wall off by forming an abscess. Risk factors include advanced age, poor health or nutrition, immunosuppression, and cancer. Other diseases associated with the disorder are: necrotizing pneumonia, septic emboli and aspiration pneumonia. These infections are almost always caused by bacteria.
Symptoms
Chest pain, fever, cough, shortness of breath, cough with yellow-green sputum, weight loss.
Tests
Common tests used for diagnosis and treatment
Workup:
A history and physical exam will be performed. Imaging tests are done to identify the abscess. A needle aspirate or abscess fluid obtained during bronchoscopy may be collected to identify the infecting bacteria.
Tests:
Complete blood count (CBC), Comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP), CT Scan, Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), X-ray
Other Specific Tests: Blood culture, culture of abscess fluid, bronchoscopy
Specialists:
Pulmonology, Thoracic Surgery, Vascular and Interventional Radiology, Pediatric Pulmonology
Workup:
A history and physical exam will be performed. Imaging tests are done to identify the abscess. A needle aspirate or abscess fluid obtained during bronchoscopy may be collected to identify the infecting bacteria.
Tests:
Complete blood count (CBC), Comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP), CT Scan, Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), X-ray
Other Specific Tests: Blood culture, culture of abscess fluid, bronchoscopy
Specialists:
Pulmonology, Thoracic Surgery, Vascular and Interventional Radiology, Pediatric Pulmonology
Treatment
Treatment includes intravenous antibiotics. Most abscesses will need to be drained. The method of drainage will depend on the size and location of the abscess and will either be done through the skin (percutaneous) or surgically. Small abscesses may resolve with antibiotics alone.