An unusual presentation of pulmonary embolism leading to infarction, cavitation, abscess formation and bronchopleural fistulation

Teng, Eva, Bennett, Luke, Morelli, Tommaso Geraldo and Banerjee, Anindo (2018) An unusual presentation of pulmonary embolism leading to infarction, cavitation, abscess formation and bronchopleural fistulation. BMJ Case Reports. (doi:10.1136/bcr-2017-222859).

Abstract

We report an unusual presentation of pulmonary embolism (PE) where a 58-year-old man first developed symptoms of community-acquired pneumonia. Despite antibiotic therapy, he remained unwell with rising inflammatory markers, general malaise and persistent cough. He developed stony dull percussion and absent breath sounds to his left mid to lower zones. Serial chest x-rays showed progression from lobar consolidation to a large loculated left-sided pleural collection. CT chest showed left-sided lung abscess, empyema and bronchopleural fistulation. Incidentally, the scan revealed acute left-sided PE and its distribution corresponded with the location of the left lung abscess and empyema. The sequence of events likely started with PE leading to infarction, cavitation, abscess formation and bronchopleural fistulation. This patient was managed with a 6-month course of rivaroxaban. After completing 2 weeks of intravenous meropenem, he was converted to 4-week course of oral co-amoxiclav and metronidazole and attained full recovery.

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Contributors

Author: Tommaso Geraldo Morelli

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