Percutaneous catheter drainage of a pyogenic lung abscess: A case report

Pyogenic lung abscesses represent a pathological entity with a high mortality rate if left untreated. Most patients respond well to intravenous antibiotics. Following the failure of conservative measures, invasive measures such as open-surgical procedures are required. Minimally-invasive options such as percutaneous catheter drainage of parenchymal lung abscesses, mainly if the respiratory reserve is limited or where the baseline functional status is poor, are also considered viable options. Pyogenic lung abscesses are necrotic cavitary lesions of the lung parenchyma and are often considered to be in the spectrum of anaerobic pleuropulmonary diseases. In this case report, we report on a 33-year-old female who presented with a 3-week history of cough, increasing breathlessness and right-sided pleurisy. She was diagnosed with pyogenic lung abscess and started on intravenous antibiotics. The abscess was drained using a pigtail catheter guided with a bedside ultrasonography.