Pulmonary gangrene

Last revised by Joshua Yap on 25 Jan 2023

Pulmonary gangrene can be a complication of necrotizing pneumonia and often represents a final stage in a continuum of progressive devitalisation of pulmonary parenchyma and is characterized by sloughing of a pulmonary segment or lobe.

In most instances, it occurs as a complication of necrotizing bacterial pneumonia but rarely can occur in other infections such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis 3.

Some publications suggest the evolution of a crescent or rim of air within homogeneous opacification as the feature that heralds the development of pulmonary gangrene 2. The development of a "mass within a cavity" is also a concerning feature 5.

Many patients may need to undergo surgical procedures to debride necrotic lung parenchyma 1. Dependent on the severity, surgical procedures include pneumonectomylobectomy, or limited resection 6

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