Bilateral empyema treated by sequential pleuroscopy

Abstract

Bilateral empyema associated to infectious pericarditis is an extremely rare, yet life-threatening condition. Pleuroscopy-medical thoracoscopy has proved its efficacy in series of patients with empyema. Yet, all reported cases treated by this technique, concerned patients with pleural infection located to a single hemithorax. We present the case of a 71-year-old man with bilateral empyema treated successfully by sequential pleuroscopy, associated to infectious pericarditis.

Keywords

• Empyema
• pleuroscopy
• thoracoscopy
• bilateral
• pleural effusion
• pleural infection