A Case of a Lung Abscess after Radical Resection of Esophageal Cancer

Abstract

A 65-year-old man was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the thoracic esophagus (LtAe, cT3N2M0, cStage III), and underwent two courses of preoperative chemotherapy (5-FU + CDDP), followed by subtotal esophagectomy under right thoracotomy and laparotomy, three-field lymph node dissection and posterior mediastinal reconstruction with a gastric tube. However, aspiration pneumonia was observed on the 8th postoperative day and antibiotics were administered. But on the 15th postoperative day, an abscess was found to have developed on the lower lobe of right lung. Conservative treatment with antibiotic administration, but clinical and imaging improvement was not obtained. Percutaneous puncture drainage was thus performed on the lung abscess on day 30. As a result, the symptoms and blood test gradually improved and he was discharged on the 78th postoperative day. Patients who develop a pulmonary abscess right after esophageal resection are extremely rare, and we herein report on our case with some literature considerations.