Paraspinous muscle flap for the treatment of an empyema cavity

For the reconstruction of defects localised near the midline region of the back, there have been occasional reports of reconstruction using a paraspinous muscle flap; however, to the best of our knowledge, there have been no reports of empyema space reconstruction using a paraspinous muscle flap. A patient who developed empyema after a pulmonary lobectomy and in whom a paraspinous muscle flap was used to reconstruct a dead space in the medial region of the upper back created by fenestration is presented. The dead space was filled sufficiently, and the patient had a favourable course without complications. Although the rotation arc of the paraspinous muscle flap is limited, the flap's blood flow is stable, and flap elevation is easy and less invasive. The paraspinous muscle flap is useful for filling and closing a defect near the midline region of the back.