Surgical treatment of lung abscess

Abstract

Seventeen patients (15 males and 3 females) with lung abscess were treated in the Shimada Municipal Hospital from September 1980 to Desember 1986. The mean age was 54. Seven patients were treated surgically, three because of relapse, one with combined empyema, one with bilateral pneumothorax and two with severely injured lung following pulmonary infarction or postoperative mediastinitis. There were many background factors in all 17 patients. The ouocome was yery good except in two cases. Generally lung abscess is treated with antibiotics, but in some cases surgical treatment is still necessary. This article describes today's indications for the surgical treatment of lung abscess.