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A case of severe bilateral empyema due to Streptococcus pyogenes

Tomoki Nishida1, Takahisa Ohnishi2, Takuya Kakutani3

  • 1Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Shonan Kamakura General Hospital, 1370-1 Okamoto, Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.

Idcases
|July 24, 2023
PubMed

Insights

This case study presents a successful non-surgical treatment for bilateral empyema caused by Group A Streptococcus (GAS). The approach involved drainage, antibiotics, and fibrinolytic therapy for a severe infection.

Area of Science:

  • Medicine
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Pulmonology

Background:

  • Bilateral empyema is a severe thoracic infection with challenging treatment decisions.
  • Group A Streptococcus (GAS), or *Streptococcus pyogenes*, is recognized for causing invasive infections.

Observation:

  • A previously healthy 59-year-old woman presented with bilateral empyema.
  • The infection was identified as being caused by Group A Streptococcus (GAS).

Findings:

  • Successful non-surgical management of bilateral empyema due to GAS infection was achieved.
  • Treatment modalities included repeated drainage, antibiotic therapy, and fibrinolytic therapy.
  • This represents a novel reported case of bilateral empyema specifically caused by GAS.

Implications:

  • Non-surgical treatment is a viable option for severe bilateral empyema in select patients.
  • Physicians should consider conservative management strategies for invasive GAS infections presenting as bilateral empyema.
  • Further research into non-operative interventions for complex thoracic infections is warranted.
Keywords:
Bilateral empyemaPleural empyemaStreptococcus pyogenes

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