A surgical case of empyema with anterior mediastinal abscess arising from periodontitis

Abstract

A 59-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with chest pain and a cough. Chest CT revealed abscesses in the left anterior mediastinum and left lower thoracic cavity. The inflammation did not improve in spite of prescribing antibiotics, and the thoracic drain was difficult to insert into the abscess, so we performed thoracoscopic drainage. The inflammation promptly resolved, and he was discharged on the 10th day after surgery.As Streptococcus constellatus (bacterium in the oral cavity) was detected from the pus and he had no other underlying disease but chronic periodontitis, we considered that his empyema with anterior mediastinal abscess arose from periodontitis. We should be aware of periodontitis as a cause of empyema and anterior mediastinal abscess.