[SPONTANEOUS BACTERIAL EMPYEMA--A RARE BUT IMPORTANT COMPLICATION OF HEPATIC HYDROTHORAX IN CIRRHOTIC PATIENTS]

Spontaneous bacterial empyema, a complication of hepatic hydrothorax in cirrhotic patients, is a rare but nevertheless important medical entity. The diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of spontaneous bacterial empyema differs from the "usual" empyema, and avoiding proper diagnosis or treatment delay may have far reaching consequences. We report on a patient who was diagnosed in our department with spontaneous bacterial empyema, review the main current literature on the subject and elaborate on the specific therapeutic considerations related to the case management.