[Purulent pleurisy in a specialized hospital environment in Bamako]

We report the results of a retrospective study of 108 cases of pleural empyema collected in the Pneumo-Phthisiology Department of the National Hospital of "Point G" from September 1984 to August 1990. The sex-ratio is 3/1 in favour of males with a mean age of 35.5 years. The pleural empyema represent 2.2% of all patients admitted in the Hospital and 20.2% of liquid effusions of the Pleura observed during the study period. The causal common germ has been placed in a proeminent position in 18 cases (16.7%) including 14 cases of gram-positive germs. Tuberculous aetiology has been proven in 16 cases (27.6%) against 67 cases of bacterial pleuresies (62%). The initial treatment has consisted in an empirical antibiotherapy of a large spectrum associated with repeated washing punctions. A short-term antituberculous chemotherapy (8 months, 2RHZS(6TH)) has been administrated each time the tuberculous aetiology has been proven or strongly presumed. The therapeutic results have been favourable in 85 cases (78.7%) and unfavourable in 23 cases (21%) including 10 deaths (9.2%).