Open AccessMycobacterium chelonaeempyema with bronchopleural fistula in an immunocompetent patient
Author(s) -
Siraj O. Wali
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
annals of thoracic medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.639
H-Index - 33
eISSN - 1817-1737
pISSN - 1998-3557
DOI - 10.4103/1817-1737.56004
Subject(s) - mycobacterium chelonae , bronchopleural fistula , empyema , medicine , mycobacterium , tuberculosis , fistula , surgery , lung , pathology , pneumonectomy
Mycobacterium chelonae is one of the rapidly growing mycobacteria that rarely cause lung disease . M chelonae more commonly causes skin and soft tissue infections primarily in immunosuppressed individuals. Thoracic empyema caused by rapidly growing mycobacteria and complicated with bronchopleural fistula is rarely reported, especially in immunocompetent patients. In this article we report the first immunocompetent Arabian patient presented with M chelonae- related empyema with bronchopleural fistula which mimics, clinically and radiologically, empyema caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis.