Lung abscess in a child secondary to Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection

Abstract

Lung abscess is a very rare infectious condition in children and is most commonly encountered as a complication of bacterial pneumonia. We present a case of a lung abscess in a child 6-year-old admitted with a history of right hemithorax pain lasting for 15 days and the onset of mild fever in the last two days. Etiological research showed positivity of IgM antibodies to Mycoplasma pneumoniae after seven days of admission. The child has been successfully treated with antibiotic therapy, without the use of macrolides, for a duration of 4 weeks. Our study suggests that the Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection may predispose to severe infections, such as lung abscess, caused by typical respiratory pathogens. The reported case of lung abscess is one of the few reported in the literature in the modern antibiotic era and is the first preceded by Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection.

Keywords

• Lung abscess
• Mycoplasma pneumoniae
• Child