Current Thoracic Surgery

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.