Presentation
Fever and cough.
Patient Data
Age: 60 years
Gender: Male
From the case:
Lung abscess
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Scout image from CT chest shows a right lower lobe soft tissue mass and a small right pleural effusion.
From the case:
Lung abscess
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A large cavitary lesion in right lower lobe with an air-fluid level. The lesion abuts the chest wall at an acute angle. Small right pleural effusion.
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Visual explanation for abscess vs. empyema.
Case Discussion
This is a nice example of a lung abscess abutting the chest wall. You can tell that it's not an empyema because it forms an acute angle with the adjacent chest wall; an empyema forms an obtuse angle.