Current Thoracic Surgery
2021 , Vol 6 , Issue 2
A case of mediastinitis causing massive hemothorax
1Department of Thoracic Surgery, Kastamonu Education and Research Hospital, Kastamonu, Turkey2Department of Internal Medicine, Ege University, School of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey
3Department of Thoracic Surgery, Ege University, School of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey DOI : 10.26663/cts.2021.0016 Viewed : 3015 - Downloaded : 1168 Acute mediastinitis is an infection of the mediastinal tissue, which is a rare condition with high mortality and morbidity usually requiring intensive care follow-up. The most common reported causes of this condition are postoperative mediastinitis and descending necrotizing mediastinitis. The patients of the condition usually present with nonspecific symptoms such as fever, dysphagia, and chest pain. Laboratory findings observed are nonspecific, and also leukocytosis and high C reactive protein (CRP) values are encountered. Heterogeneity in the mediastinal tissues, air densities in the mediastinum and loculated fluid collections are radiologically observed. The treatment of the condition is antibiotherapy and surgery. Hemothorax is not reported as an expected complication in the follow-up of mediastinitis. In this case report, we present a patient with hemothorax hospitalized with the diagnosis of mediastinitis and empyema after an extraction of a tooth. Keywords : abscess, empyema, hemothorax, mediastinitis