Abstract
Empyema thoracis, defined as a collection of pus in the pleural space (Odell, 1994), was first described and treated using drainage by Hippocrates (Major, 1965). Whether the term ‘empyema’ should be defined as fluid which has pus on inspection or as fluid containing excess polymorphs is debatable. In the early phases of development of empyema, the fluid may not have a naked-eye appearance of pus. Tuberculous empyema may have cell counts which show a predominance (>50%) of lymphocytes, although polymorphs may dominate the early stages. Despite improved antimicrobial therapy and multiple options for drainage of the infected pleural space, empyema thoracis remains a condition with considerable morbidity and mortality in its treated and untreated forms (Kaplan, 1994; Desai and Mugala, 1992; LeMense, Strange and Sahn, 1995).
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Desai, G. (1997). Empyema Thoracis in AIDS Patients in the Tropics. In: Zumla, A., Johnson, M., Miller, R. (eds) AIDS and Respiratory Medicine. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-3446-8_15
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-3446-8_15
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